


Black and Blue

by XSpreadYourWingsX



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Genre: AU, Complete, F/M, M/M, f/m - Freeform, m/m - Freeform, solangelo, soulmate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-23
Updated: 2018-05-11
Packaged: 2018-11-04 04:39:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 22,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10983558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XSpreadYourWingsX/pseuds/XSpreadYourWingsX
Summary: Will lives in a world of color. Only the vibrant hues of the rainbow paint his eyes, unweathered by the night's shadows. The darker the colors get, the harder they become to comprehend. Until he meets his soulmate, Will lives in a world of light.Nico can't see the color blue. Whole expanses of sky and sea remain a mystery to him, only to be revealed by his soulmate's eyes. Even his best friend's remain a cold slate of gray. But he'd already met his soulmate, as had everyone else he knew. As the days, weeks, and months wear on, he begins to give up hope.Just two colors, that's all it takes. The same two colors that make up the bruises of their pasts.But if you can't see them, how are you supposed to fix them?





	1. Nico

**Author's Note:**

> Solangelo Soulmate AU. Originally posted on FanFiction.

Obsidian eyes scanned the restless waters below, watching as the waves crashed angrily onto the sand.

The eyes desperately searched for answers, hoping beyond hope that the ocean would reveal the truths it hid in its white froth and cold, salty water.

But the effort was fruitless. It was the most unlikely place that Nico di Angelo would find a solution to his problem, and he loathed it for that. His hand clenched around a sea rock.

But the boy had come to the end of his road; it was as if everyone just led him to a dead end. He was running out of places to look.

And places to hide.

It was then that he turned to the water, or perhaps the sky, where he was inevitably met with the gray expanse that had taunted him since he was young. He'd shout to the heavens, demanding a stranger make himself known.

But every time he was met with silence. Silence and the color gray.

Was it so much to ask to be allowed to see the color blue?

After everything else in his crappy life, he was denied a simple luxury that everyone around him had.

With a snarl, Nico hurled the rock into the water. A small gray splash erupted from its place of impact.

Nico had never believed in fate.

So it seemed right that he would be left without one.


	2. Will

Will hated playing hide-and-seek at night.

It was never fun.

He found people too easily, and when he finally got close enough and tagged them, they'd get angry. Angry!

It wasn't his fault he had natural night vision!

No, that was the fault of his soulmate.

Ever since he was young, he'd wanted to see the color black. He knew the mystery was held in the eyes of his soulmate. The question was: would he ever meet him? Or, if he was feeling particularly hopeless: did he even have one?

People all around him told the stories of meeting their soulmates for the first time. Among those who had listened without their own experience, Will was the only one who believed they hadn't been romanticized.

He'd listen with attentive ears, drinking in every detail as if chugging water on a hot summer day. His favorite part was when the storyteller would describe the Shifting.

The Shifting was a name for the moment your entire vision filled out with the color you'd never seen. It ran right before your eyes, shifting the world and replacing the once-empty voids with bliss. Pure bliss.

He knew how the stories went. Just one look, that's all it would take. One look, and your world would change forever.

He couldn't wait.


	3. Chapter 1

"Siete idiotis."

_You are idiots._

Nico's petulant muttering was promptly lost amid the shouts and giggles of his friends. Around their acclaimed coffee shop booth, Piper and Jason egged Percy on as he attempted to shove another pancake in his mouth. Nico's half-sister Hazel draped a consoling arm over Annabeth, who facepalmed at her boyfriend's stupidity.

But it wasn't lost completely. With an indignant glare, Jason turned away from Percy to face Nico. "I may not speak Italian," he noted, "but I have enough sense to be sure that you just called someone an idiot." The blond jabbed a finger toward the offender, then used it to push his glasses farther up on his nose.

Nico rolled his eyes, but he couldn't keep the corner of his mouth from twitching upward in a slight smirk. "I was talking about all three of you," he retorted.

Jason looked appalled, gesturing definitively with his hands. His eyes, which remained an ordinary, monotone gray to Nico, widened. "That doesn't make things any better!" he exclaimed.

Nico shrugged innocently, as if he didn't have a care in the world.

Which he didn't.

But the smile quickly retook his friend's face, and he rolled his eyes playfully. Then he redirected his gaze back towards Percy, who was struggling to get the last bit of pancake to fit in his mouth.

"Go Percy, go Percy!" Jason chanted. Crumbs dribbled down Percy's shirt as the pancake started to break apart. Piper covered her mouth in an attempt to stifle a snort, but it wasn't very effective.

Nico sighed, irked by the scene unfolding in front of him. How had he ever become friends with these people?

Percy emitted a muffled victory cry as he shoved the remains of a fourth pancake into his mouth. It was quickly followed up by the exclamations of Piper and Jason, which in turn were followed by a sigh from Annabeth. Her face turned red in embarrassment.

Nico glanced at Hazel, an annoyed expression plastered on his face. But all his sister offered was an apologetic smile before turning back to Annabeth, who was now scolding Percy as he attempted to chew the pancakes without dislocating his jaw.

Nico almost laughed.

Almost.

In all honesty, hanging out with his friends made Nico feel all the more lonelier. They were simply living, breathing reminders that he hadn't yet found his soulmate. And living, breathing reminders that everyone around him had.

It certainly didn't help that Jason was about to propose to Piper.

It hadn't been in Grace's plans to tell Nico until after the fact, in a huge, exciting announcement that earned cheers and hugs from all around. But when the Italian had walked in on Jason muttering something about rings and a large whiteboard labeled 'Get Piper to Marry Me' in the corner, his plan had been soiled.

And now Nico waited.

And waited.

Then he started to get impatient.

Then he started to go _insane_.

"When are you going to ask her?!" he'd demand. Whenever Nico gave the 'We're talking later' glare, Jason would always try to avoid him, claiming that he had to go water houseplants or something stupid like that.

But Nico always managed to corner him and make the boy give him a straight answer. Most of the time it was something like, "I'm waiting for the right moment!"

And it was starting to get on his nerves.

"You can't just drop a bombshell like that and then not give me more details!" he'd say. Of course it was always then that the blond reminded Nico that he hadn't actually meant for him to find out.

Truth be told, Nico hadn't expected to hear that kind of news. He'd always thought that Percy would propose to Annabeth before any of the others had a chance to get engaged. But then again, with all the time it was taking Jason, Percy still had a chance.

If only Nico could tell anyone about it, he might even shout at Percy to hurry it up and ask Annabeth to marry him already. But Jason had made him swear an oath that, if broken, would result in being forced out of bed at four o'clock in the morning to go jogging. And as much as Nico hated waiting, he hated waking up early and jogging more.

So he kept his mouth shut.

It wasn't all that hard. Nico was a pro at keeping things to himself. And yet, ever since he first met Hazel, he realized that certain people could make him open up.

At first, it had worried him. He had been afraid that he would say too much, pushing her away. But Hazel was his sister; one of his best friends. And after a little while, he realized that sometimes there were better options than just keeping everything bottled up inside.

At least then there wouldn't be the inevitable meltdown, where it all just became too much.

Nico, breaking out of his thoughts, checked his watch. The wristband was black, the same as everything else in his wardrobe. Underneath the ticking hands, a skull stared back at him, empty, dark abysses for eyes. The time read 8:20.

Nico startled. "Uh, I have to go," he announced. He was met only with understanding nods and farewells; all his friends knew that he had classes today.

Because Nico was a couple years younger than the rest of them, he was still in his senior year of college. But lucky for him, he only had a few days left before he graduated. And he was dying to get it over with.

But something about the thought of finals didn't appeal to him. And it wasn't just the thought of cramming his brain with irrelevant facts that bothered him. For the most part, it was what taking finals meant for him that had Nico trembling.

After college, he'd be on his own. He'd have to find a job, move into his own place-and among all the other adult responsibilities he would have, he wasn't quite sure if he was ready.

But of course, his friends never failed to remind him nine times a day that they were there for him if he needed them.

And despite his aversions to humans, social interactions, and most feelings, he was grateful.

Even if he couldn't show it.

Truly, genuinely, _grateful_.

. . . . .

Jason and Percy, having the day off of work, had decided that they were going to wait in Nico's dorm for the boy to come back from his classes.

Nico didn't really appreciate them barging in all that much.

As he walked through the door, he was met with Percy's voice saying, "Man, you need to update your CD collection. All this crap is from the 1930's."

"Percy," he growled, not bothering to close the door behind him. "What are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you, too, Neeks."

Nico stomped up to Percy, whose lap held piles of old CD's his sister Bianca had given to him before she died. They and a small statuette were all Nico had to remember her by. Having Bianca by his side as he grew up was the only reason he didn't completely despise Italy.

"Give me those," Nico snarled, ripping CD's out of Percy's hands. The boy seemed unfazed. "Now answer my question. What are you doing here?"

Jason piped up in Percy's place as Nico returned the CD's to their respective shelves. "We came to see you," the blond said, as though it were obvious. Nico groaned internally.

"I've got another final in, like, two minutes, you dingbats," explained Nico, turning to face the others. "I just forgot one of my textbooks."

Percy frowned as he spun in Nico's desk chair. "Since when do they let you use textbooks for finals?"

Shoot me now, he thought, but didn't say. "I'm going to study," he said, but didn't think.

Jason, who sat twiddling his thumbs on Nico's unmade bed, mimicked Percy's frown. He shifted, as if the bed had suddenly started filling with rocks and was growing uncomfortable. "But didn't you say that you only had like two minutes...?"

Nico hit him with a book.

"Hey!" the blond protested. He rubbed his arm and pouted, being uncharacteristically childish. "That hurt."

Nico rolled his eyes before remembering he had somewhere he needed to be.

"I'm leaving now," he blurted, hurrying around the room to grab his things. He shot a quick glare at Percy. "Don't touch anything while I'm gone." He paused, rethinking his words as a thought popped into his head. "Actually, can you just throw that letter on my desk in the mail for me? It's about my new apartment and I'm moving in tomorrow, so it has to be done soon."

Percy cast Nico a glance, an excited sparkle lighting in his sea-green eyes. The Italian felt a small twang of pity for Annabeth, who must have been miserable not being able to see the color of grass or leaves. But she and Percy had met a long time ago. "You're moving in tomorrow?" Nico remained silent, but Percy continued, jumping out of his seat. "I'll help you pack!"

Nico's heart leaped to his throat. "NO!" he yelled. Percy sunk back down into his chair. "You take care of the letter and nothing else. Same goes for you, Grace," he snapped. Jason looked affronted.

But before anyone could argue, he was out the door.

. . . . .

After completing the final and being left with the feeling of emptiness and regrets, Nico decided to avoid his dorm.

He was sure that Percy and Jason had already left, probably off to do something stupid and impulsive. But he didn't want to take any chances. When it came to Percy and Jason, it was better to be safe than sorry.

He decided to go to the one place he knew more than anywhere else.

So that was how he found himself walking alone down the bustling streets of New York City, hands shoved in his pockets and eyes grazing the road as he looked for a cab. It was how he found himself humming an Italian lullaby, his own private rendition of a melody he had heard countless times before. And it was how he found himself stealing a rose from some stranger's garden.

Gosh, he missed her.

After giving up on hailing a cab, Nico decided to walk. He wasn't very far from his destination, only about a twenty minute journey on foot. He'd achieved it so many times before that it didn't really matter how he got there anymore.

As he walked, hands in his pockets and voice humming the lullaby, he couldn't chase the feeling that he was being watched. His gut churned, and his eyes darted back and forth warily. But each time he found no detection of suspicious behavior, and he kept walking.

When he finally arrived, he sunk down to his knees, planting them firmly on the grass. He placed the rose down gently in front of him, soft red petals standing out against the cold, gray stone. And then he started to speak.

"Hey Bee."

A silence filled the air, but it was a comforting silence. Nico liked to imagine that on the other side, Bianca was greeting him as well.

"I know it's been a long time," he continued, speaking out against the quiet summer air. "And I'm sorry. But you know how it is." He shrugged. "Finals."

Nico bit his tongue, piercing the flesh until he tasted his own coppery blood. He wished he could take back his words. Bianca _wouldn't_ know what it was like. After she'd taken him and escaped to America, Bianca had immediately needed to get a job. She never spent one day in college.

It took him a minute and a couple deep breaths before Nico started speaking again. But this time, it wasn't to Bianca. He inhaled heavily, listening to the sounds of New York traffic in the distance. Another faint, wispy sound joined them.

"Why did you follow me?" Nico questioned.

He heard the person's breath catch behind him, but he refrained from turning around. Instead he sat staring at the tragic dates on his sister's grave. Waiting. Listening.

Finally, the person spoke. She was definitely female, and possibly around Nico's age. "You-uh, you stole one of my flowers."

Nico paused. That's what this was about?

"So?"

He heard the shuffling of feet behind him, as if the girl was becoming nervous. Her voice came out stammering. "Y-You know what, i-it's... Nevermind."

Nico turned to face her. She was studying her shoes curiously, as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. With a quick scan his eyes took in a lean build; with her dark hair and green eyes, the girl reminded him of Percy Jackson.

"Who are you?" Nico asked finally.

The girl looked up from her shoes, meeting Nico's questioning gaze with an apologetic one of her own. Nico could have sworn she gave a strangled gasp.

"I'm Lou," she breathed. "Lou Ellen."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for chapter one! I hope you enjoyed! Also, who do you think would propose first, Percy or Jason? I feel like they'd get into such a heated race with each other and then Frank would just come along and propose to Hazel XD Leave a comment!


	4. Chapter 2

"Cecil."

He had his headphones in his ears, with the cord wrapped around his neck like an uncomfortable necklace.

"Cecil!"

His head bobbed to the music audible beyond the headphones, keeping in tune with the beat he used to escape from the outside world.

"CECIL!"

With a jolt the boy ripped out the earbuds, trailing his gaze on the speaker.

"Look," Will said, putting the textbook he held down on the table in front of him, "You're one of my best friends and I love you, but you gotta stop playing your music so loud."

As Cecil started to turn a light shade of pink and turn the volume down on his phone, Will ran a hand over his face. At that moment he wished he had a giant bucket of ice cold water to dunk it in. Blinking a few times to clear his eyes, he looked back at Cecil. "You're supposed to be helping me study, anyway," he stated.

Cecil cleared his throat. "Right, sorry." Will couldn't help but notice that his eyes were glazed over as well, and his hair was ruffled from a fitful sleep.

Will felt a pang of guilt. Though he was the one in training to be a doctor, he'd been dragging his friends down with him into the pit of sleepless nights and intense cramming sessions. Cecil and his soulmate Lou Ellen had been helping Will study for his MCAT, or Medical College Admission Test, non-stop.

Will sighed. He knew what he had to do.

"You know what, it's okay," he blurted. Cecil fixed him with a stare, surprised at the sudden outburst. "I'm gonna go back to my dorm and work there. You should get some sleep."

Will rose from his seat, starting to gather up his books and papers and put them in his bag. Cecil emitted a faint sound of protest, then thought better of it and clamped his mouth shut. But as Will was about to close the front door, Cecil said, "Will?"

The blond turned.

Cecil smiled. "Take your own advice. Just because you're going to be saving people doesn't mean you can forget about your own needs."

Will nodded gratefully. And then with a click of the knob, he was out the door.

. . . . .

Will ended up crashing.

 _Hard_.

He'd had just enough time to dump his book bag on the floor and take off his shoes before face planting on his bed and falling into a deep slumber.

But his dreams worried him.

Besides the usual rainbow unicorns and nightmarish medical terminology, Will's dreams were plagued by an incomprehensible city.

_All that he could determine about the city was that it stood tall and proud, and that a river snaked through the center._

_Oh, and that it was being destroyed._

_Streaks of lightning shot down from the sky, attacking the city's buildings and bringing them crashing to the ground. They somehow conscientiously targeted the city's wooden platforms along the river, plummeting family homes into the water._

_All around, citizens screamed. Mothers carried their children out the doors, clutching them tightly. Men darted into buildings to save trapped citizens, only to dart back out again when the structures started to crumble._

_Will could only stand there, staring as the city fell. He didn't know which city it was, or even which country it was in. All he knew was that the people inside were dying, and there was nothing he could do to help them. His feet were frozen to the ground, and his voice wouldn't work._

_Then, the dream shifted._

_Suddenly he was standing inside the lobby of a hotel, its walls rattling as the storm raged._

_A woman with dark hair shouted to a little girl, who looked to be her daughter. The girl was young, around eleven or twelve. She had her arms wrapped around an even younger boy, who trembled in his sister's grasp._

" _Get out, Bee!" the mother shouted. The girl cried out, protesting in a foreign language Will couldn't understand._

_The woman cast a cold, sharp glance at her daughter, not taking no for an answer. The girl froze, grip on her brother slacking. The boy had olive skin, similar to that of his family. And when he turned, Will could see only gray in his irises._

" _Prendere il treno di evacuazione presso la stazione ferroviaria di Santa Lucia," the mother insisted urgently. Will didn't know what it meant, but he began to suspect the language was Italian. The woman looked over her shoulder. "Io salverò tuo padre."_

_The little girl rushed forward to give her mother a hug, burying her face in her mother's dress. The boy followed suit, but both were soon pushed away for their mother to memorize their faces before she turned around and ran up a flight of stairs._

_The little girl wiped tears away hastily, grabbing her brother's hand and turning quickly around. At the exit, she took one final moment to look behind her and whisper, "Goodbye."_

Will wasn't sure if he dreamt anymore that night, but he was sure of one thing.

The boy's eyes were supposed to be black.

. . . . .

Will was awoken by a piercing ring and a buzzing in his pocket.

When he decided to ignore it after realizing he was getting a call, he shoved his face into his pillow and tried to fall back asleep.

But after the ringing and buzzing stopped, it just started right back up again.

With a sigh of defeat, Will rolled over onto his back, met with a boring white ceiling. _When I meet my soulmate,_ he thought, _I'm going to have a black ceiling. Just so I'll always remember at the end of the day that I'm not alone._

As he tapped the answer button and lifted his phone to his ear awaiting a response, Will wondered, _Would my soulmate want a_ blue _ceiling?_

"Will?" Lou Ellen's voice floated from the cell phone.

"Lou?" Will replied. "It's, like, five o'clock in the morning, why are you calling me?"

The girl answered, "I need to talk to you."

It took every ounce of power Will had not to sigh in exasperation. "Can't you just talk to Cecil? I imagine you two haven't fallen out in the last nine hours."

"Will, shut up and listen!" Lou shouted, catching Will by surprise. Lou didn't often raise her voice. "This is an emergency!"

He shot up. "Are you hurt? Is Cecil hurt?"

"No, we're not hurt. But Cecil might be if he keeps ignoring me," she grumbled.

Before she could continue, Will interjected, "Can you blame him?"

If he had been with Lou Ellen at that moment, he was sure she would have thrown something at him.

He heard the girl take a deep breath. "The thing is, I completely embarrassed myself last night."

Will pinched the bridge of his nose. How had he ever become friends with people like Lou Ellen and Cecil?

Oh, yeah. They grew up together.

"And you had to call me at quarter to five just to tell me that?" he questioned, sinking back down onto the bed.

" _Will_ ," Lou Ellen urged. " _Listen._ So I was at work yesterday, right?"

Will sighed in defeat. He wasn't getting out of this. "Right."

For a moment Lou Ellen seemed pleased, but as she started to speak again her mood deteriorated. "And some guy stole a flower out of the garden."

Will wanted to scream, but the confusion outweighed the annoyance. "...Right…"

"So I followed him."

"Naturally."

Lou let out a trembling breath, and Will began to grow worried. She said she'd only embarrassed herself, right? "I followed him… to a graveyard."

" _Lou!_ "

Will could see Lou Ellen clearly in his mind's eye, running a hand over her face and hunched over a table. "I know, I know! Oh, it was awful. You should have seen his face."

Will face palmed and spoke, muffled, through his hand. "Oh, Lou," he whined. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Forgive me and tell me I'm pretty?"

"I'm not the one you need forgiveness from," Will explained, disregarding Lou's comment. "Did you at least apologize?"

His friend sighed. "Yeah, I did, don't worry. We had kind of an awkward conversation after that."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. It went about as well as you'd expect."

Will huffed. "I can imagine."

Will froze in shock at the words he heard next. "But then we talked some more and we're totally best friends now!"

Will spoke slowly, still shocked by her words. "Lou, what do you mean?" He rose to a sitting position, squinting into the darkness of his bedroom.

When Lou spoke again, she sounded happy and excited. Her attitude had turned a complete 180. "I mean we had a deep conversation about life and loved ones. If he hated me at first, he doesn't anymore. At least... I hope."

"Then what is the big emergency you just _had_ to tell me about so early on a Thursday morni- oh no."

"What?" Lou's voice was full of worry.

Will rose, scrambling to his feet as he ripped the sheets off of him. "I'm taking my test _today_ , Lou! I'm never going to be able to fall back asleep!"

Lou gasped. "I thought you were taking it _tomorrow_!" she exclaimed.

"Obviously not!" Will shouted. "Otherwise I wouldn't be freaking out right now!"

Lou Ellen took a deep breath, jumping into best friend mode. "Will, it's okay! It's not for another few hours, right?"

Will fumed. "It _lasts_ a few hours, Lou!" Will attempted to throw together a test survival kit, shoving a water bottle and energy bar into a mini backpack. "If I want to stay awake during it I'm going to have to drink _pints_ of coffee. And that doesn't exactly give me a better chance of earning a good score!"

Will's friend let out a shaky breath. "You know what, do what you need to do and I'll stop bothering you."

Will's actions ceased. "No, Lou, I didn't mean… Look. I'm sorry, okay? It's just... I've been stressing over this test for months now and I _need_ to do well on it." He paused. "Forgive me?"

After a moment of silence, he heard a soft, "Okay."

Will grinned. "Tell me I'm pretty?" he joked.

Lou snorted. "Not a chance."

"That's my girl."

"But I do need to hang up now. You've got stuff to do and so do I," she stated.

Will huffed. "What do you have to do this early on a Thursday?" he asked. "You don't even have work today!"

Lou Ellen chuckled evilly. Oh no. Will had heard that laugh before. And it didn't usually end in sunshine and rainbows.

Actually, that wasn't quite true. Will's nickname was Sunshine. And that unexpected Pride Parade Lou had taken him to had certainly contained a lot of rainbows.

But that was beside the point. "Lou… What are you planning?"

"Oh, nothing," she chirped in a sing-song voice. "Bye."

"No, no, no, Lou wait!"

She hung up.

Great.

Four hours of sleep.

A seven-and-a-half hour long test.

And a scheming friend.

What could go wrong?


	5. Chapter 3

"Jason, be careful with those!" Nico shouted.

"Yeah Jason, be careful!" Percy offered.

"Shut up, Fishface," Jason retorted.

Nico threw a box of miscellaneous paraphernalia down on his bed, glancing over his shoulder to make sure his friends weren't accidentally killing themselves or, worse, damaging his belongings. He had enlisted their help to move his things into his new apartment, along with the pair's girlfriends and Hazel. He wasn't exactly sure how intelligent of an idea it was after he had made it, but it was too late to turn back now.

"Hey," Percy said, ducking his disheveled black hair into the room, "I just kept Jason from destroying a collection of priceless antiques, so, you're welcome."

Nico rolled his eyes. He was pretty sure that the 'priceless antiques' Percy was referring to were his plates. White, ceramic, boring-as-hell plates.

"Thanks," he muttered half-heartedly. Percy smiled and nodded, seeming pleased with himself.

Nico, having discarded yet another box into his room where it probably wouldn't be unpacked for another month, made his way back to the front door. He stopped and waited for Piper, who carried a floor lamp in each hand, to pass through.

"I thought you lived in a dorm before this," she griped. Loose strands of choppy brown hair fell into her eyes, and she struggled to maintain balance. One lamp, being heavier than the other, threw her off. "How did you have room to fit this many dam lamps?!"

Nico laughed. "I didn't."

Piper cast him a wary glance, but then her lips quirked upward in a smile. She shoved past Nico and planted the lights on the floor.

"Where do you want these, Nico?" a voice sounded from the doorway. Annabeth stood there with a crate cradled in her arms, stormy gray eyes fixed on Nico expectantly.

"Um, just set it on the table. Thanks."

"Hey Nico!" Hazel shouted from downstairs. "Come here!"

He rushed out the door, happy to get out of the stuffy atmosphere and breathe fresh air. He made his way over to Jason's truck, regarding Hazel who stood in the back. "Help me with this," she told him. Her voice sounded quiet and wispy, as if she was out of breath. She had been the one rearing boxes up over the side of the truck for hours, after all.

Nico, gripping the trunk's rim, lifted himself in gracefully. Hazel, her brown hair frizzy, motioned toward a large box. "You grab one side," she ordered, "and I'll grab the other."

As they heaved the box carefully out of the trunk, Hazel attempted to strike up a conversation. "So, you finally have your own place." She looked around the box they held to fix her gaze on Nico. "Exciting?"

Nico grinned. "Definitely. No more tiny room, or meal plan, or crazy, all-night parties-"

"Uh oh." Her sparkling gold eyes drifted away in thought.

Nico furled his eyebrows in confusion and concern. "What is it, Hazel?"

Her eyes shot back to him, and she smiled faintly. "Nothing, just remembered something."

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, trying to determine how they were going to go about lugging the box up them, Nico cast a suspicious glance at his sister. "Remembered what?" he questioned.

Hazel sighed, setting the box down on the floor. She took a seat on the stairs to rest. At least, Nico assumed she was resting because it didn't look like devastating news was on her mind. More like an inconvenience. Nico sat down next to her.

"I just remembered," Hazel elaborated, "that Jason and Percy wanted to throw a housewarming party." Nico blanched, but before he could say anything, Hazel continued. "I know, I know. Nothing like that has to happen if you don't want it to. But…"

Nico narrowed his eyes. "But…"

Hazel sighed. "But I think something along the lines of a housewarming party would be a good idea." She clasped her hands together on her lap.

" _Why_?"

Hazel's eyes drifted again. "I just mean it isn't healthy for you to be holed up and alone all the time." Nico protested weakly. "Admit it, Nico, that's what you do."

Nico didn't want to sit there and take this anymore. But before he could get up and leave, Hazel placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and looked at him with puppy-dog eyes. "At least let us have a movie night," she begged. "We don't have to invite anyone else. It can just be you, me, Percy, Annabeth, Piper, and Jason."

Nico considered it for a moment. It didn't seem all that bad actually, especially since he needed a way to unwind after his finals. But if previous meetings were anything to go on, his friends might make him go even crazier.

Finally, Nico sighed and gave in. "Fine. But only if you keep Jason and Percy from trashing my new home and we get to watch one of my old movies."

Hazel squealed, clapping her hands. "Great! I'll go tell the others!" She bounded up the stairs without another word.

Nico's gaze drifted back to the box at his feet. "Wait, Hazel!" he called. But she was already gone.

With an aggravated sigh Nico rose to his feet, wrapping his spindly arms around the heavy box. He muttered angry profanity as he struggled to carry it up the stairs by his lonesome. But luckily, Superman came to save the day.

"Thanks Jason," Nico breathed. The boy had managed to carry the box halfway up the stairs before his arms gave out and he strained to place the box down gently. Jason took up the luggage effortlessly; the man was tireless. Nico scowled, but he was thankful. A thankful scowl.

As he entered his new home, he took a moment to place his hands on his hips and scan the place. To his right was an empty kitchen, whose cupboards opened and closed as Percy filed through them. To his left was a simple living room, ridged with haphazardously-placed boxes and one too many floor lamps. Piper and Annabeth chatted animatedly with Hazel about their plans for tonight's get-together on a couple of beanbag chairs.

Jason came up to Nico then, clapping him happily on the back. The blond grinned, pulling the scar on his lip in a way that looked uncomfortable but that Nico knew had no mal effect on his friend. "Look at you," Jason said softly, "growing up so fast." He faked a sniffle and wiped away a pretend tear.

Nico, a smile starting to quirk up at the corners of his lips, shoved him. Jason stumbled back, his smile growing wider as he laughed. His eyes lit up with joy, but Nico was sure they would've looked even happier if he could see their true color.

"Shut up," Nico mumbled. "You keep that up and I'm locking you all out of here."

Jason gasped. "But that would mean no movie night!"

"Exactly." Nico smirked.

Jason zipped his mouth, turning to join Percy in his adventures of 'How Many Times Can I Open And Close All the Kitchen Cupboards In One Minute'.

When a squeal erupted from the circle of beanbag chairs, Nico snapped to attention and turned around to investigate. When he looked at the girls with a questioning gaze, they merely giggled and starting talking about movies and snacks.

And already Nico was starting to regret agreeing to this.

. . . . .

Nico couldn't say he was all that surprised when a hoard of young adults burst through his front door at seven o'clock at night, carrying armfuls of snacks and pillows, and settled themselves on his living room floor all without knocking first.

"Hey, guys, so nice to see you," he muttered. No one was listening. He brought his voice up a few pitches, impersonating one of his friends. "Oh, hi, Nico! So nice of you to let us come over!" He sighed and took a seat in one of his beanbag chairs, one of which was already taken by Piper.

"You know," Nico claimed, "there is a such thing as a doorbell." He glanced around at all the faces, trying to ignore the ridiculous onesies half of his friends were wearing. No one met his gaze. "It's a bell," he continued persistently. "By the door. That you _ring_."

Jason waved his words away. "Yeah, yeah, Nico, we all know your wedding ring is gonna be skull-shaped and whatnot." This earned a few snickers from the crowd. "Now who's ready for some Rocky?!"

Percy tore his attention away from the conversation he held with Annabeth. His girlfriend had decided to sit in his lap and hug a pillow. She, at least, wore some sensible pajamas for a New York summer: shorts and a t-shirt. "I thought we were going to watch Disney movies first!"

Hazel grinned at the mention of Disney, pearly white teeth resembling the sparkling gems on her nightgown. Ever since the others had discovered that neither Hazel nor Nico had seen a single Disney movie, they (mostly Percy and Jason) had made it their personal mission to assure the siblings watched each and every one.

Hazel had taken to it quite quickly, sympathizing with the princesses and admiring the princes. Nico, not so much. I mean, sure, he was all up for admiring good-looking, fictional princes, but he just couldn't get very invested into the stories. Hazel had always told him he was jealous.

And in a way, it was true.

All he could think while watching a Disney movie was, _When am I going to meet my prince charming?_

Of course, he never said this in front of Hazel. Not only because he hated talking about his feelings (which he _absolutely despised_ with a burning passion), but also because he didn't want to make Hazel sad. Like him, she hadn't found her soulmate.

But if he tried to tell her that, she would groan and tell him for the millionth time, "That's not true."

Nico shook his head to clear away the thoughts and cast a glance at the tv. "I thought we were going to watch The Lord of the Rings," he said.

Jason popped open a DVD case and placed the first Rocky movie in the DVD player. "Everyone relax. We'll get there eventually." He spread his arms excitedly. "We've got all night!"

Nico tried to protest. "Actually-" But Annabeth cut him off.

"I don't give a crap which movie it is as long as it's not another documentary." Everyone but Percy looked at her with a confused stare. "I've been watching way too many of those lately."

"Hmm," said Percy thoughtfully. He shifted underneath the girl. "No wonder your head's so big."

Annabeth punched him in the shoulder.

"Man," Jason remarked, grinning, "you are the only one of us who is actually brave enough to say something like that." Piper nodded in agreement and Hazel tried to hold back a giggle.

Percy shrugged modestly, rubbing his shoulder. But he had a smirk plastered on his face.

With a click Jason started the movie, retreating to Piper's beanbag chair. He lifted her bridal-style and proceeded to sit in her place, resting her gently in his lap. Piper flattened out her simple, homemade nightgown, one she sold in her clothing store. And for a moment, everything was quiet.

But of course, that didn't last long.

As the trailers for boring old films none of them were ever going to want to see played, the group quickly picked up an intense chatter. The hum of voices was soon accompanied by the rustling of bags being opened and the tinkling of bowls as movie treats were distributed. It wasn't too much of a bother to Nico until Percy and Jason abandoned their girlfriends to challenge each other to a pillow fight.

"You'll never take me alive, copper!" Percy yelled. He must've already gotten into the sugary, blue foods. Fantastic.

Jason bared his teeth, pushing Percy back towards the kitchen. "My name is Inigo Montoya," he quoted. "You killed my father! Prepare to die."

Nico's interest deflating, he turned back to the television screen. The movie was about to begin.

A groan parted from Annabeth's lips as she leaned her head back in annoyance.. "Come on, guys, you didn't even make it to the beginning of the movie before you started to fight! Usually you hold out until you first see Rocky in the ring."

Hazel frowned. "Yeah, I at least thought you'd wait for the movie to actually start playing."

"Just get back here," Piper jabbed. Unsurprisingly, the guys lowered their pillow machetes or machine guns or whatever they had become and took their respectful positions on the floor and chair. Nico had to hand it to her, Piper had a way with persuasion.

. . . . .

One pillow fight, two movies, and three bags of popcorn later, the group had decided to have a brief intermission.

"Dibs on the bathroom!" Percy yelled. To no one's disappointment but Jason's, Percy leaped to his feet and sprinted down the hallway. Annabeth watched him go as she simultaneously rolled her eyes. Nico didn't know how she did it, but she was a master.; he wished she would teach him her ways.

As soon as everyone had their needs taken care of, Jason knelt down in front of the DVD player to insert _Finding Nemo._ No one really knew how, but Percy had won that argument.

"I came completely prepared for this movie," Percy proclaimed. He stood up to show off his deep-sea onesie, half of which Nico couldn't see because of the blue fabric. "Look!" Percy exclaimed, pointing at a clownfish on his arm, "There's Marlin!"

"You and your fishes," grumbled Annabeth.

Percy frowned. " _Frank_ would agree with me." For a moment he was still before a surprised expression spread over his face and he held out his arms as if to balance himself. He gasped, gaining everyone's attention.

Finally, he looked at Hazel, and words started to flow out of his mouth at a hundred miles a minute. "Hazel! Hazel I know the perfect guy for you! He's sweet and caring and kind and he works at the marine institute and he knows how to change a filter and the best part is he's an actual _Marine_!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down there, Perce," Jason urged. He held out his hands as if calming an agitated animal. Percy settled slightly, but he started twisting his hands together in a repetitive movement.

"Wise Girl," Percy spluttered, looking at Annabeth, "you know what I'm talking about, right?"

His girlfriend thought for a moment. Then her face lit up. "Oh, yeah! Frank! You're right, he and Hazel would be perfect together! Even if you aren't technically Bonds, it doesn't matter! Plenty of people have fulfilling, lifelong relationships without ever once seeing a new color."

"Hold on, hold on. What are you talking about?" Hazel questioned. There was a nervous edge to her voice.

Percy looked at her, a childlike excitement in his eyes. His hands continued their incessant weaving pattern. "There's this guy I work with, Frank. Tends the marine animals." He started to drift away in thought. "I think he likes goldfish the best. Though I don't know why anyone would put him in charge of glass bowls filled with water and real live animals, that kid's a klutz…"

Annabeth cleared her throat. "You're getting off-topic again, Seaweed Brain."

Percy shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Right, right. Where was I? Oh, yeah. Frank." His hands abandoned the movement and rose to his chin, where they stroked a nonexistent beard. "He's nice, as far as I know. Real shy, though. Poor guy takes a lot of crap from the boss because his personality won't allow otherwise."

Hazel gasped. "That's awful!"

Percy nodded sadly in agreement. "Yeah, it is. But, c'est le vie."

Annabeth cast him a suspicious glance. "Are you taking some sort of brain enhancer or something?"

Percy mocked offense, holding a hand to his heart with his mouth in an 'o'. "I'll have you know that my smarticles are one hundred percent real!" Annabeth's look hardened to a glare, and Percy shrunk down. "I got it from the singing crab on _Moana_ ," he admitted. Annabeth and Piper snorted. Nico smiled.

"I think you should meet him,"Jason announced out of the blue. Everyone turned to face him, but instead of getting nervous at the sudden increase of attention, he seemed to grow more confident. Nico was the opposite.

Jason shrugged. "You never know what could happen, Hazel. I mean, what if this guy is really your soulmate? You could end up throwing away an entire lifetime of happiness for the both of you just because you didn't take a chance." His gray eyes softened as he gazed at Hazel, and Nico couldn't help but think about how caring he looked. He would make a great father.

 _If he would just hurry up and propose to Piper already, maybe she'll give him a child!_ Nico thought angrily. _I'm getting tired of your schist, Jason._

Jason's words seemed to touch Hazel, and Nico could tell her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts at the moment as she tried to drink it all in and process ideas. Finally, her misty eyes cleared, and she looked around the room at all their faces. "I'll think about it," she said. She took a deep breath.

Jason smiled triumphantly, as if he was already sure he had set up a lifelong couple. He redirected his gaze toward Piper, who smiled down at him. "See, Pipes?! I'm learning."

Piper rolled her eyes. "You're not learning," she stated. Jason's heart seemed to deflate. "You already had that inside of you."

Jason's grin returned, and he moved forward to kiss Piper on the lips. As they pulled apart, grasping each other's hands, Jason started to speak to the others, but mostly Hazel. "If I hadn't taken the chance of riding a bus all the way to New York instead of flying, I would never have met Piper," he reminisced.

For a moment the room was filled with silent smiles. Until Percy bellowed, "AWWW!"

Jason threw a pillow at him.

"Look, I guess you're right about the whole 'taking chances' thing," Hazel admitted before Percy could retaliate with a pillow of his own. She started to get lost in her mind again. "Your vision must have been horrible before you met her," she thought aloud.

Jason huffed. "That's one way to put it. I could only see the most unnatural colors, like pink. You have no idea how excited I was when I got highlighters."

"And staplers," Piper added. The group laughed, thinking back to the scar on Jason's lip and how he had tried to eat a stapler as a child.

Percy scoffed, somewhat ignoring Piper's remark and the others' reactions. "You were practically colorblind. At least you weren't confused or completely disoriented after you met her." His eyes drifted fondly to Annabeth.

Jason's face adopted an expression of surprise. "I saw colors for the first time, Percy. How could I not be disoriented?" Percy tore his gaze from Annabeth to look back at Jason. "You were lucky," Jason continued. "You were basically the _opposite_ of colorblind."

Percy pointed an accusing finger at the blond. "Hey. You have no idea how traumatizing it was to go the zoo and see purple elephants."

Annabeth snorted. " _Poor Percy_ ," she sniped. Percy shoved her lightly, but she simply rebounded and settled her head on his shoulder.

"Was it hard for you, Annabeth?" Hazel asked kindly. She was always so good at making people feel included.

Annabeth nodded. "Yeah. It was, actually." She started using hand gestures with her words, Percy copying her energetically, continuing even when Annabeth stopped talking. "I'd go outside and be faced with gray grass, gray leaves, gray ferns… It was no picnic."

"Tell me about it," Piper announced. She rolled her head on her shoulders to look at the others. "I couldn't even see the sky," she said. "Or the ocean." She fixed her gaze on Nico. "Sucks, doesn't it?"

Nico nodded slowly, unaware of how he had gotten pulled into this conversation. He had just been content to sit back and watch with amusement, but his friends always seemed to find a way to make him participate.

Percy's hands froze in the air, and his eyes dimmed as a sudden realization dawned on him. "Wait a minute…" He looked at the others. "Oh my gods. Guys, Nico can't see the ocean!"

The room went silent, all eyes turning to him.

Annabeth was the first to speak. "You… You _just_ realized that?"

But Percy wasn't listening. Instead he rushed to Nico's side, enveloping him in an inescapable hug. If Nico had thought it was the worst it was going to get at first, he was proven wrong when Percy started petting his hair.

"I'm so, so, so sorry, Neeks," he was saying. "It must be so _horrible_! I mean, the ocean is the epitome of mystery and life, filled with diverse beauty and wonders unseen to the ignorant!"

Piper looked disoriented. "Did Percy really just say that?"

Annabeth seemed pleased, but also mildly horrified. "Where did that come from?"

Hazel shrugged. "The scuba diver," she answered.

Jason gaped. "Who are you and what have you done with my moderately loveable yet insane friend?"

Percy looked appalled. " _Moderately_ loveable?"

Nico took the opportunity to shove Percy's hands of his shoulders. "And insane," he reminded. But when he saw the mischievous glint in Percy's eyes, he wished he could take it back.

Percy launched himself at Nico with a manic grin, but the dark-haired boy had seen it coming. He ducked swiftly out of the way, something he had gotten good at over the years of having these idiots as his friends.

Percy scowled at him, and without warning jumped to his feet and started to chase the boy through the small apartment.

"Percy, leave me alone!" Nico shouted.

"Not until I give you a noogie!" Percy yelled back.

With the slam of a door, Nico locked himself in the bathroom. Percy pounded on it a couple times, but tried to keep it down slightly to avoid getting a noise complaint from the neighbors. "Come on, Neeks," he called. "Just a little one!"

As soon as he was sure the lock on the door was secure, Nico slid down the wall, landing on the tile floor with a thump. He sighed in relief, looking ahead of him at boring white curtains.

 _When I meet my soulmate,_ he thought past Percy's ruckus, _I am going to own a lot of blue._

After much persuasion on Piper and Hazel's behalf and scolding on Annabeth's, Percy was forced to retreat to the living room and Nico agreed to leave the bathroom.

"Percy," Annabeth was saying as Nico entered the lounge, "as punishment for your behavior, I'm telling Mrs. Dodds that you will substitute for Coach Hedge on Monday."

Percy groaned, sinking down to the floor. He ran his hands over his face. "I'm a diver, Annabeth, not a gym teacher! You professors must have some sort of rule against that."

Nico understood what was going on now. Coach Hedge, a friend of the six, was a gym teacher at the college in which Annabeth taught architecture. He was going to be out of school Monday because his wife had just given birth to a boy named Chuck.

Annabeth patted Percy on the head. "Well then, it's a good thing it's swim season!" She leaned closer to him and spoke softer. "Maybe next time you'll think before chasing your friend into the bathroom," Annabeth sang.

Percy pouted. "Please, Annabeth, don't make me do this!" Now he was starting to be dramatic. "I'll do anything you want! Do you want the moon? I'll get you the moon, Annabeth! I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down for you!"

No one expected a reply other than Annabeth rolling her eyes and a few snickers erupting from the crowd. So everyone was pretty surprised to hear a click and a voice from the doorway answer, "You can get me the moon, if you want."

They all looked up.

And there he was. Everyone's ( _favorite?_ ) repair boy.

Leo Valdez.

"DO ANY OF YOU PEOPLE EVER KNOCK?!"


	6. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ~Tease~ Chapter That You Might Hate Me For

"I can't believe it."

Lou Ellen gaped as she studied the crumpled paper in her hands, mouth open and eyes wide.

"I can," Will mumbled mournfully. He stumbled across the room in a miserable haze, planting his face in Cecil's pillow.

"Come on, Will," Cecil urged in an attempt to be enlightening. Will wasn't sure it would work. "You'll just have to take it again."

A muffled groan rose from the pillow Will pressed his face to, and he swatted weakly at Cecil's arm. A jumble of words sounded from the pillow, but they were incomprehensible.

"Will, cut it out," Lou Ellen jeered. "If you want us to hear you, get your face out of that pillow." Will merely turned his head, raising an eyebrow in question. "Yes, that was an altered version of 'get your head out of your ass'." She waved around the paper she held. "It's not the end of the world!"

Will pouted. "You don't understand, Lou! I studied so hard for that test and I got a C-minus!" He felt like pulling the couple's blankets over his head and hiding in a burrow of shame for the rest of his life.

"Honestly I thought you were going to get a D or worse," Lou Ellen admitted. Will cast her an incredulous look. "Seriously, Will. You were completely out of it."

Will fought to contain another groan. Instead, he mumbled sarcastically, ""Gee, I wonder why?"

Lou narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?" she questioned.

Will huffed in disbelief. "I _mean_ you woke me up at quarter to five and got me all riled up with your nefarious plans," he shot at her. He almost asked, _What are you planning, anyway?_ but knew he wouldn't get an answer and scrapped the idea.

Lou Ellen frowned. "I thought you forgave me for that," she whined.

Will sighed. "Yes, I did, I'm sorry." He looked up at her. "There's no one to blame but me. I ran myself into the ground."

Lou Ellen nodded like a disappointed mother who scolded her son for something or other. "Yes, you did." She pointed an accusing finger at him. "From now on your study sessions will be supervised, young man." She grabbed her cellphone of the dresser. "Now if you'll excuse me, your complaining has reminded me that I need to tend to my nefarious plans." With that, she left the room, leaving Will's grade behind to float to the floor.

Cecil bent over to retrieve it, holding it firmly in one hand. For a moment his eyebrows knit in confusion. "Don't you get your test results online?"

Will nodded, hair ruffled by the pillow. "I printed it," he explained.

Cecil became even more confused as Will rose into a sitting position. "Why?"

The pout returned to Will's face, and his shoulders slumped. "So I can just look at it and be reminded of my failure," he grumbled.

Cecil sighed, slapping the paper down onto the bed before moving to grab Will's hand. After giving the man a confused look Will was lifted off the bed. He swayed on his feet.

"Enough of that," Cecil insisted. "It's not going to do you any good, and quite frankly, it's annoying."

Will nodded in agreement.

"Look," Cecil said, eyes drifting away in thought, "you'll just have to take the test again. No big deal." He met Will's gaze, taking a deep breath and changing his tone to be more cheerful. "But until then," he chirped, "you, my friend, need to take a break. Have some _fun_."

Will sighed. "I guess you're right." Cecil smiled. "So… How exactly do we achieve that?"

Cecil gaped, a mild flash of concern passing over his face as he tensed. "Are you serious?" Will's eyebrows knit together in confusion. Cecil let himself relax. "You are, aren't you? Okay." He made his way over to his closet, where he shoved the doors aside to reveal an array of suits and fancy dresses saved for special occasions.

Will assumed the dresses were Lou's.

As Cecil filed his way through his collection of cheap suits, he explained to Will what he was planning for them to do tonight. But Will began to lose interest almost right away, and he started to find himself struggling to pay attention.

"...and we'll dance and we'll drink and we'll party the night away," Cecil was saying. He turned to Will and plopped a selection of suits into his arms. "Any questions?"

Before Will could ask Cecil to repeat all of what he had just said, as well as what he wanted Will to do with the suits, Lou Ellen barged through the door. "I have one," she said.

The boys turned to her, caught by surprise.

Lou continued. "Would you mind holding onto those plans for a little while? I wanna go out for coffee." Something in her tone suggested that coffee wasn't all she was thinking about.

"But it's like ten o'clock at night," Will pointed out. "Are any of the coffee shops even open?"

"This is New York," Lou Ellen drawled impatiently. "Not Texas. Some coffee shops are open 24/7."

Will scowled. "I grew up in Austin, Lou, not Wellman," he sniped.

His friend's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "Am I supposed to know what that means?"

Will sighed. "Let's just say I've had my fair share of all-night coffee shops."

Cecil broke his span of silence, albeit hesitantly, by agreeing weakly. "S-sure… That sounds great, Lou."

Lou chuckled. "You don't have to come if you don't want to." She turned to Will. "But you do."

"Why do I have to go and he doesn't?" Will whined. He felt like he was five years old again. At Lou's smirk, he narrowed his eyes and added, "Do you even want coffee?"

A condescending smile snuck over her face, and she twirled her phone in her hand. "Of course," she lied cheerfully. "Why else would I want to go?"

Will decided it wasn't worth it to argue.

And in the long run, it was simultaneously the worst and greatest decision he had ever made.

. . . . .

"Do you want a coffee?"

"No."

"Latte?"

"No."

"Croissant?"

"No."

 

"...Will, are you wearing any underwear?"

"No."

Lou Ellen sighed in annoyance.

Will, his arms crossed, slumped down in his coffee shop booth and stared absently at Cecil, who sat across from him. After some tense persuasion and a few flying teddy bears, Lou Ellen's soulmate had grumpily agreed to come along. The only question that remained was: what now?

Lou Ellen drummed her fingers on the freshly-wiped table, glancing around expectantly as if waiting for someone to arrive. When she wasn't doing that she was running her hands through her hair, which appeared gray to Will and bugged him to no end. Either way, she kept a close eye on the door.

"You ever going to tell us what this is all about?" Cecil questioned, checking his nails in boredom. Will looked to Lou for an answer.

"No," she answered, a smirk starting to quirk at the corner of her mouth, "but _they_ are."

She nodded towards the door.

Will heard the group before he saw it. Wild laughter punctured lively chatter every three seconds, and feet scuffed the floor with fast movement. Multiple male voices could be heard, and Will groaned eternally. It wasn't _that_ kind of group, was it? The kind that tortured him every day of high school?

Will was torn out of his thoughts when he caught a flash of gray from the center of the group. He soon realized that it was hair-long, scruffy, black hair. The boy to whom the hair belonged had his face srunched up in laughter; eyes squeezed shut. The expression looked unnatural on his face, as though he wasn't one to smile often. Yet at the same time, the emotion fit him beautifully.

Will would have stared at the boy's face all day long if his phone hadn't started ringing. He tore his gaze away with difficulty, pulling the cell out of his pocket. He glanced at the Caller ID.

He motioned to Lou Ellen, then back to his phone. "I'm going to take this outside." Lou started to protest, but Will had already turned away and walked out the door.

Cooling wind met Will's face as he stepped outside. The freshly tarred road gleamed gray in the late afternoon sun; the only giveaway that the road should've black being it's unnatural glow. He took a split second to take it all in before hitting answer on his phone.

"Austin?"

"WILL!" exclaimed his half-brother. Will hadn't seen Austin for almost a year now. He'd gone on tour around the world with his band, and hadn't been able to visit or even call regularly. "How are you doing?!"

Will frowned slightly. "Look, dude, I know you're excited, but could you tone it down a notch?"

"Are you kidding?!" Will raised an eyebrow, knowing Austin couldn't see him. But somehow, he got the message. "Sorry bro," Austin said. "Not tonight."

Will shifted on his feet. "Tonight? What's tonight?"

His brother evaded his question, and instead told him, "Put these on."

Will sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose out of habit. "Austin, you know I can't see you."

"You sure?"

Will, beginning to grow awfully confused and partly excited, looked around. There wasn't much to see besides the setting sun and citizens strolling down the sidewalk. But when he looked to his left, he saw him.

Austin had bundles of what seemed to be feathers stuffed in his arms, and he wore a ridiculous-looking pair of sunglasses with a light-up hat to match. He was almost the exact opposite as he had been when Will last saw him.

Will stuttered. He didn't know what to say first. Austin just grinned.

Finally Will decided on, "What are you doing here?"

Austin's smile grew. "Cecil called me," he answered. "And I was in the neighborhood, so I thought, why not?"

His answer only confused Will more. "In the neighborhood? You mean you were here and you didn't tell me?" He held his hand to his heart in mock betrayal. "Are you taking some time off tour?" he asked.

Austin shook his head, a feathery boa around his neck swaying. "We've got a performance coming up." He shrugged. "Some theatre. And before you ask, yes we did start the tour in New York, and no that doesn't mean we can't perform here again."

Wow. Austin knew him well.

Will squinted, still trying to wrap his head around this. "You said Cecil called you?' he inquired.

Austin nodded. "He said you needed some time to relax. And I agree. You look awful."

Will scowled at him. "Thanks," he grumbled. He looked Austin up and down. "What's with the outfit?"

Austin didn't answer and instead removed the boa from around his neck to put on Will, much to the blond's discomfort. He took a plastic box out of his jeans pocket, procuring two oddly-colored contact lenses. Will hadn't understood what he was doing until he opened Will's eye and pressed the plastic softly onto them. Strangely, Will let him do it. He was more curious as to _why_ Austin was doing this. It didn't seem like him.

Austin stepped back to look at Will after messing with his shirt collar, admiring his handiwork. He gave Will an apologetic glance. "My bandmates are kind of odd when it comes to accessorizing," he admitted. He shrugged. "But they're paying for drinks. So come on!"

But even as Will partied awkwardly the rest of the night, he couldn't get a certain face out of his mind. Not only was it beautiful, but it was strangely familiar.


	7. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I take it back. THIS is the one you're going to hate me for.

"I love you Percy-Bear."

"I love you, too, Honey-Pie."

Annabeth joined them then at their coffee shop booth. "What am I even witnessing at this moment?"

Percy turned to her, smiling softly. He held a half-eaten muffin in his hand, leaving it suspended in the air. "Love, Wise Girl," he answered. He proceeded to hand-feed the muffin to the boy on his lap. "It's love."

"Yeah, Annie," Leo mumbled through a mouthful of muffin. He looked at Annabeth, who returned his gaze with a glare. "Love."

Piper snorted while Jason, who sat beside her like always, stifled a laugh. Annabeth sighed in annoyance, turning away from the two idiots next to her. Percy fed Leo another bite of muffin, muttering, "Should've just let me get you the moon."

Annabeth looked to Hazel with a gaze that said: _Can you believe him_? Hazel grinned.

Nico couldn't help but smile slightly when his sister did. He knew how anxious and restless she'd been since Leo's arrival. Nico also knew why. It was because the Latino reminded her too much of his cousin Sammy. And it was painful for Hazel to be reminded of him, no matter how long ago it they had fallen in love before he died.

But Nico had a nagging suspicious that Leo wasn't the only reason she was getting so fidgety.

One word, one syllable. Answer? Frank.

Percy had approached the Marine two days after mentioning him to Hazel, explaining to him that he had a friend he would love for Frank to meet. Percy had told the group later about his nervous reaction-how he wasn't so sure about it, just like Hazel had been. But then Percy told him Jason's story and about how sometimes in life you needed to take a chance.

And so he'd agreed.

Nothing was set in stone, however, for both Hazel and Frank would be busy the next week or so.

Gods, when would someone make a move?!

Nico was so sick and tired of relationships going nowhere. He didn't have one, so what was a guy supposed to do? Live vicariously through his friends and family, that's what. Nico just needed a way to bring it up into conversation without directly mentioning Frank. That's when an idea popped into his head.

"Hey Percy, what's that thing that's got you all busy this week?" _Nice. Smooth._

Percy turned away from making googly-eyes with Leo to face him. The look in his eyes was replaced by a shimmer of excitement, and he flashed a toothy grin. "We're relocating anglerfish!" he exclaimed. Interests piqued around the table and everyone trailed their eyes on Percy as he spoke. "I think they're from the west coast. California, or something."

"Is Frank going with you?" asked Annabeth casually.

Wow. That was fast.

Nico was pretty sure the woman had met Frank herself, and Percy was his friend, so it wasn't odd that she and her boyfriend would talk about him. Out of the corner of his eye, Nico saw Hazel's cheeks tint a light shade of pink.

Leo squinted his eyes in suspicion. "Who _is_ this Frank?"

Percy ignored him and shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe, maybe not. Said he might, but it's a good few days of a trip. We've got to load up the trucks, haul the boat, _drive_ the boat out into the middle of the ocean…"

Annabeth placed a hand on his shoulder, and Leo glared at it from Percy's lap. "What Percy's trying to say is that he doesn't know," she said. She turned Percy and glared. " _And_ that he's leaving me alone for days." Snickers erupted from around the table.

Except Leo. He gasped. "You're _leaving_ me? For anglerfish and _Frank_? I don't even know who that is!" he exclaimed.

"Aw, come on Leo," Percy began. He sounded like he was consoling the boy, until he said, "You know what anglerfish are. They're the scary-looking ones with lanterns on their heads." The others laughed as Leo pouted.

"Have you ever actually seen an anglerfish?" Jason asked. He leaned his elbows on the table, arms pressed against his warm cup of tea. He stared at Percy inquisitively.

Percy looked off into the distance, thinking. "I saw a dead one once," he remarked finally.

Annabeth winced. "Nice story, honey."

"Cheating on me with Annabeth _and_ Frank?!" Leo yelled suddenly. He crossed his arms defiantly, frowning. He shook his head in disappointment. "I knew this time would come."

Percy glanced at him apologetically, returning to their running joke after he had 'gotten Leo the moon'. He rubbed Leo's back. "Sorry, Sweetie. It's not you, it's me." The group laughed. Percy cast a wary glance toward his girlfriend. "Actually, it's Annabeth," he blurted. Before anyone could say anything else, he slipped out from underneath Leo and ran out the door.

Annabeth rolled her eyes, fighting to keep a smirk off her face. She stirred her coffee absentmindedly, even though she took it black. She'd said something about it 'stimulating her mind'.

Leo mimicked a heart attack, clutching his chest and falling back against his seat. "I've been dumped." He slouched sadly.

"It's okay, man," Jason teased. "You're the Super-Sized McShizzle."

Leo's eyes lit up in confidence, and he started to sit straighter. "I _am_ the Super-Sized McShizzle," he said.

Jason smiled slyly. "Besides, it's not like you've never been rejected before."

Leo slouched back down again, a frown retaking his face. "Thanks for nothing, guys."

The group chuckled before lapsing into a comfortable silence, multiple emotions evident over each face. This included a sudden surprise and confusion over Jason's. He looked over at Annabeth. "Why are you drinking coffee this late?"

Annabeth furled her brows, redirecting sparkling gray eyes to the window beside them. It was then that she first noticed the setting sun.

She facepalmed. "Oh, great." She started rubbing her forehead, motioning with her elbow toward her cup when Percy returned and adopted a concerned expression. He took the news silently, slipping past Leo to sit next to Annabeth and wrap a comforting arm around her shoulder.

"At least now you'll be able to finish grading those papers," he encouraged. His girlfriend sighed.

"Words every girl wants to hear," she mumbled. The other two women of the group smiled.

"At least you don't have to-" Nico stopped dead when Percy turned to listen to him.

Annabeth leaned forward expectantly, not catching on to the way Nico looked into her boyfriend's eyes. "At least I don't have to what?" she asked.

Nico ignored her, heart beating rapidly. "Your eyes," he breathed. He felt like his throat was being strangled.

Percy squinted in confusion, but then amusement seemed to take over his features and he raised his hands as if in defense. "I know, I know, they're fabulous. You don't have to make such a big deal about it," Percy stated.

Nico shook his head, too worried to roll his eyes. "No, Percy," Nico said. The others turned to look at him, curiosity and concern starting to spread over their faces. "They're gray."

Everyone went silent.

What felt like a lifetime but was probably only one minute passed before anyone spoke. It was Percy. "...What do you mean they're _gray_?"

"I mean suddenly I can't see the color green you dingbat!" Nico fumed.

"It's okay Nico," Jason urged. The boy in black found it difficult to tear his gaze away from Percy's now colorless eyes. "I'm sure there's a logical explanation for this."

Nico turned to look at him. And when he did, he yelped, jumping back.

A chorus of 'what's wrong?'s serenaded him as his eyes locked on a spot just above Jason's forehead. "Your hair!"

His friend rose a hand to his head to self consciously pat his hair. "What's wrong with it?"

Nico breathed heavily. This was all too weird. "It's _gray_!"

The others glanced at each other nervously, but ultimately their gazes trailed back to Nico. After another few moments of silence and Nico low-key freaking the crap out, an intense chatter picked up around the table.

His friends discussed the symptoms and possible diagnoses, asking him the occasional question to help them identify his problem. It seemed to be nothing physical or psychological. That kind of left it up to his soulmate.

"I've got it!" Annabeth exclaimed. She raised a hand excitedly into the air, grinning triumphantly. She looked down at the cell phone she held in her hand. Everyone had expected her to come to the right conclusion first, but through the internet? That didn't seem like her.

"It says here that wearing contact lenses can alter the color perception of your soulmate," Annabeth explained. She looked up at Nico. "Your soulmate must be wearing contacts."

Nico cast a suspicious glance between Percy's eyes and Jason's hair. "And he decided on a green one and a yellow one?"

Annabeth shrugged. "Seems to be the case." Her eyes drifted away in thought. "I wonder what he's up to…" she muttered.

"Who cares what he's up to?!" Nico thundered. "I want to see those colors again!" His hands clenched into fists underneath the table, but he was more upset and befuddled than angry.

Hazel decided to pipe in, voice soft. "I don't think that's up to you, Nico." Her voice was so sympathetic and calming that Nico seemed to deflate.

"I'm sure he'll take them out soon enough," Percy added, his arm still draped over Annabeth's shoulders. "It's not like he's ever done this before." He looked away, and Nico was glad to not be reminded of his current situation by Percy's eyes. "He might not even know that this is what happens."

Jason looked down at the table, expression shifting from sympathetic to curious to urgent. He shot up straight, accidentally knocking Piper away. "Wait, Nico." He looked at the blond (gray?). "Does this mean you can see blue?" He pointed to his own eyes, and their friends around him jumped to attention.

Nico searched the boy's eyes, remembering all the times he'd look into them and feel lost or meaningless. He couldn't keep the feelings from returning when the same cold, gray slate he'd been seeing ever since he met Jason stared back at him. He shook his head mournfully.

"I don't think it works that way," Annabeth elaborated. She'd switched off her phone and returned it to her pocket, drawing knowledge of soulmates from her jam-packed brain. "Contacts don't actually change the color of your soulmate's eyes." Nico frowned. "Besides, you can't see that one color until you've seen it from him. And you haven't yet."

Nico crossed his arms grumpily over his chest, scowling. "You don't need to remind me," he mumbled. Annabeth apologized.

Suddenly Leo interjected, and the group simultaneously flinched and/or snapped their heads to look at him, having forgotten he was sitting at the table. He'd hardly said a word since he and Percy 'broke up'. "While this has been a thrilling and educational conversation," he pulled a random screwdriver out of his pocket, "I'm going to go build a robot."

And with that, he left, 'goodbye's accompanying his walk out the door.

Nico sighed as the others struck up conversations with each other. _You better stop with this nonsense soon,_ he thought, as though talking to his soulmate. Even though he knew he couldn't hear him. _Or there'll be hell to pay._

A sly smile started to creep over his lips.

 _You know what… Why postpone the inevitable_?

Nico had an idea.

_**~One Week Later~** _

(Hazel POV O_O)

Hazel wrung her hands together nervously, alternating between twisting her foot and playing with her skirt. When she started to bite her lip after a few minutes of waiting, she got a strange feeling that her subconscious was making a bigger deal out of this than it actually was.

Hazel had dressed relatively casual for the occasion: a baby blue blouse printed with floral patterns from Piper's shop and a soft white skirt. Her friend had been more than willing to help her pick an outfit to wear, ripping clothes off the shelf and practically shoving her into the dressing room.

Piper had already known her size, having gotten her clothes for gifts, as well as her style: sweet and innocent. She had claimed that that particular style reflected her personality and emphasized her kindness. Hazel had shyly agreed.

A noise broke her out of her thoughts. It sounded like a faint scuffle, followed by a couple of male voices that seemed to be arguing. She recognized one of them as Percy's. He seemed to be saying something along the lines of: _Get out there, you'll be fine_!

Hazel saw nothing but a hand behind Frank as he was shoved into the aquarium. Percy had decided that it was the perfect place for a date, seeing as he knew both Hazel and Frank would enjoy it and the experience was free. He also claimed that it left them a lot of freedom to talk about anything and everything as they watched the sea creatures.

At first glance, Hazel took in a strong build, which seemed a little out-of-place with the white button-up shirt and slacks but looked great nonetheless. His hair was black and his eyes...

His eyes were brown.

Despite this Shifting being a lot less dramatic, as there wasn't much brown to see in an aquarium, Hazel couldn't help but feel that seeing this color again, after having her eyes opened to it before it got ripped away and she thought she'd never see it again, was better than seeing it for the first time.

For a moment neither of them moved or said anything, until Hazel decided to brave the silence. "I-I'm Hazel," she stuttered. She couldn't tear her gaze away from his eyes. She had a feeling that one of these days she might drown in them.

The boy opposite her couldn't stop staring at her eyes, either, and he fidgeted nervously. Finally, face red, he blurted, "I'm lactose intolerant!"

Hazel would have laughed had she not been so nervous herself.

She noticed that there was a slight quip to his words, and Hazel quickly recognized it as a Canadian accent. _This is it_ , she thought, remembering back to her conversation with Piper. Her words rang in Hazel's head, telling her how to avoid the conversation becoming awkward. Though it might've already been too late for that. _This is my gateway._

"You have an accent," she noted. Oh gods. That sounded stupid. Way to go, Captain Obvious.

 _Keep going_ , she urged herself.

"Where are you from?" Much better.

The man seemed to ease. "Canada," he answered. His voice was deep, but smooth like honey.

"AWWW!"

Hazel thought her neck was going to break at the speed she turned it. "Percy! What are you still doing here?!" she demanded.

Percy, who stood off to the side, rested his chin on the heels of his hands like a lovestruck maiden. His eyes were wide as he watched the scene unfold. "Witnessing love," he sighed wistfully.

The coloring started to return to Frank's cheeks, and he cleared his throat awkwardly. Hazel decided to take matters into her own hands. She shooed Percy away. "Go. Get. Find someone else to bother." Percy backed away as she approached him, waving her hands. "Why don't you make sure my brother doesn't pry his eyeballs out?"

As soon as Percy had slipped out the door and left the two soulmates (which was still odd to think) alone, Hazel turned back to Frank, giving him a look as if to say: _I'm sorry._

Frank shrugged, a small smile turning up at the corners of his mouth. He knew about Percy's intrusiveness. He worked with him after all.

Before Hazel could say anything, Frank held his hands up, eyes squinting as though trying to wrap his head around something. Hazel blushed, thinking the expression made him look cute. "Forgive me if I'm meddling, " he said, "but why would your brother accidentally pry his eyeballs out?"

Hazel rolled her eyes playfully, a smile crossing her lips as she thought of her brother and his stupid revenge plot. "He's trying to get back at his soulmate," Hazel explained. Frank raised an eyebrow. "After he suddenly couldn't see yellow or green, we determined that his soulmate was wearing colored contacts." Frank nodded in understanding, seeming to drink in Hazel's words as though they were his lifesource. "So now Nico's wearing rainbow ones."

Frank winced. "Isn't that a little harsh?" he asked.

Hazel laughed. "Clearly you have not met my brother."

The Marine started fidgeting nervously, twisting his feet while his face reddened. "I-if you don't mi-mind, I'd like to g-get to know his sister first," he managed.

Hazel grinned, and that simple gesture seemed to ease Frank's worries. Sheepishly, she approached the boy and linked her arm with his. She looked up at him once more, silently marvelling in the wonders of his eyes. Her voice came out a soft whisper. "Shall we?"

"We shall."

And they talked all throughout the night.

. . . . .

If Nico could pick a single sound to describe his morning, he would pick the sound of paper rustling. Either that or Jason's yelps each time he got a papercut.

"How do you have this much mail, Neeks?!" Jason exclaimed, filing through envelopes. He lounged comfortably on Nico's new sofa, feet kicked up as he read endless amounts of letters, bills, coupons, you name it.

Nico was in a likewise situation, sat criss-cross applesauce on the floor surrounded by a pile of doom. How all this had even managed to fit into his mail cubby, he had no idea. "Most of it is for the people who lived here before me," he answered, casting aside an assortment of coupons. He picked up another parcel. "The rest of it is crap."

Annabeth laughed around her straw from her position on Percy's lap, watching amusedly as Nico and Jason wallowed miserably in his sea of mail. "I'm so glad that stopped happening to us," she commented. Percy grinned.

"I have a feeling it didn't just 'stop happening'," Hazel put in. She held much fewer letters than the other two, but felt it was important for her to contribute to her brother's needs.

Piper, who sat obnoxiously on Nico's kitchen table, smiled slyly. Her gaze drifted to Annabeth. "I'm guessing a judo-flip may or may not have been involved," Piper teased. Her friends grinned.

"Hey Nico, look at this," Jason interjected. He held up a letter in his hands, eyes scanning the front behind his glasses. His voice sounded puzzled when he spoke again. "It's from the USCIS."

Nico frowned, reaching up for the note. He ripped the envelope open carefully, wary of what he might find inside. He pulled the letter out and read it.

With each word his face grew paler and paler. No one had known it was possible for Nico to get so much more white; he was pale enough as is.

When he finished reading, his head shot up to look at Jason. "Did you guys take care of that letter I asked you to?"

Jason frowned, looking to Percy as if for confirmation. He glanced back at Nico. "You mean the one in your dorm?" he asked. Nico nodded vigorously. "I'm pretty sure…" He looked back to Percy, but continued to talk to Nico. "Big green bin, right?"

Nico blanched, gulping. " _Green_?"

Piper snorted. She didn't seem to understand what this meant. "Gods, Jason, do you not know how to send mail? Blue bin, dummy."

Jason huffed, disgruntled. "I _told_ you I still get my colors mixed up."

Nico started to shake his head. "No, no, no, no, no." This couldn't be happening. This could _not_ be happening! "You threw my letter in the _recycling_?!" The boy in black stood abruptly, earning looks from all around the room. "It's already been _ten days_ since I moved!" Nico fumed. He could feel his face turning from white to red in a mix of emotions he could hardly even identify. Anger, sadness, disappointment, anxiousness...

"What does that have to do with anything?" Jason's voice rose nervously, and he looked at his friend with a concerned gaze. "Nico, what are you going on about?"

Nico's senses told him to take a deep breath-to calm down and think rationally. But he let his emotions get the better of him, something he'd trained himself not to do since he was a kid. But just the thought of losing the entire life he had...

The others looked to Nico for his answer, and he started to squirm from the attention. But he owed them an explanation.

"I have ten days to alert the U.S. Department of Immigration of a change in address," he stated, voice and body stiff like a wooden board. Tears began to sting the corners of his eyes. "Unless I can prove it was unintentional by midnight..."

He looked at the others.

"They're going to send me back to Italy."


	8. Chapter 6

The words of Nico's friends turned to sand in his ears, blurring their sentences so that he missed what they were saying. He remained still, staring in disbelief at the floor. Was this really happening?

Nico was pulled out of his daze by Jason's firm hands on his shoulders, wobbling Nico as his eyes urgently searched his face. "I thought you were a U.S. Citizen!" he exclaimed.

Nico was slow to respond, shaking his head dejectedly at the stares of his friends. "No," he choked out, voice tight. His friend's concern grew. "I'm eligible, but… It was never made official."

Piper cast a nervous glance between Nico and Jason, the tiniest quiver to her lips. "That's good, isn't it?" she asked hopefully. But her hope just masked the edge of helplessness that laced her tone. "I mean, can't we just make it official so they can't send you out of the country?"

Annabeth shook her head, stormy gray eyes cast down to the floor. She twitched her fingers weakly as if she wanted to grab Percy's hand but couldn't muster the strength. "They'd never be able to process it in time."

Nico could tell she was holding back the fact that it could take years, just to savor what little hope they had left.

Beside her, Percy took a deep breath. He looked from Nico to Jason, who had retracted his hands, and back again to Nico. "There's gotta be something we can do," he urged, hands clenching to fists. "We've got all day. There's gotta be _something_."

More tears welled in Nico's eyes at his words, because he knew there was nothing more in his power.

"What if I tell them it was my fault?" Jason tried, voice high.

Hazel shook her head, pointing out, "There's no proof."

Jason thought for a moment. "Aren't there security cameras at that college?" he asked.

Faces seemed to light up, until Nico snarled, "Not pointed at the recycling bin." Jason's eyes fell to the ground, and the room was engulfed in a dreary silence.

"What if-"

"Enough, okay!" Nico shouted. Heads shot up to look at him, and his gesturing hands clenched to fists as his face reddened in anger. "There's nothing we can do!"

Hazel stepped forward fearlessly, sadness plastered over her face as if she had already lost her brother. "Nico-"

But he'd already stormed out the door.

. . . . .

Nico ran until his legs screamed in pain, and he could no longer ignore the blisters forming on his feet.

Not knowing where he was, he ducked into an alleyway, hoping to avoid the tourists and New Yorkers that flooded the streets. He sunk down against the wall, finally allowing his tears to flow freely.

How could the Fates do this to him? For the first time since Bianca's death, Nico was happy (at least as happy as you can be without your soulmate). He had a degree, a home, _friends_. His life was finally looking up, and it was about to be torn down again.

He just hoped that this time the tearing would be figurative, not literal.

With a heavy breath he drew his hands from his face, planting them at his sides. He leaned his shaggy head of hair against the brick wall he pressed against, squeezing his skyward eyes shut before he saw the gray.

A shock of cold burst through his fingertips as he settled his hands, and his eyes shot open before he could stop them. Quickly averting his gaze, he glanced down, noticing an empty beer bottle under his hand.

His grip tightened around it.

After a moment of consideration-of staring at the hard, murky glass through blurred eyes-he picked it up. And with all his strength, he chucked it.

The bottle shattered in a mosaic of brown shards, scattering light and scattering themselves. Nico held his arms up against the assault, but no piece met his skin.

He found himself wondering what this would have looked like to Hazel had she not met Frank the night before.

He was happy for her-he truly, truly was-but still he couldn't stop the hurt that spread through his chest when he saw the pairs around him. He tried with every fiber of his being to suppress it, to mask the pain with a neutral face and congratulatory blessings.

With these thoughts, he felt his hand brush another bottle, and with a lot less hesitation grabbed that one as well. He rose to his feet, a tear sliding down his cheek. _Would the destruction ever end_?

But the feeling clenched around his heart again, and he channeled the pain out through his arm and the bottle before it splintered against the wall, remnants glittering in the sun.

He quickly developed a methodical rhythm-have pessimistic thoughts, hide the pain, and chuck another bottle. He threw them until his hands and arms bled, and a plethora of destruction lay solemnly at his feet.

He glanced down at his palms, shredded and bloodied by the broken glass. He relished in the pain. _Fine_ , he thought darkly. _Let it come._

It wasn't until he was interrupted that he tore his gaze away from his battered hands.

"Are you okay?"

Nico froze. He didn't recognize the voice, but easily determined it was male. He didn't dare turn his head, instead staring down at the now-brown floor of the alleyway and waiting for the boy's melodious voice to speak again.

However he did mutter quietly, " _Sembra che sto bene_?"

The shuffling of the boy's feet stopped several yards away from the boy in black, stilling as an awkward tension filled the air.

The boy spoke again, and Nico couldn't help but get lost in his voice, lilted as though a soft smile never left the boy's lips. "Sorry, I don't speak Spanish…"

Nico's tension abated, replaced by anger. " _Italian_ ," he snarled. He sensed more than heard the boy's breath catch. Yup, he still had it.

Finally, his curiosity and confidence rising, he turned to face the boy. But nothing could have prepared him for what he saw.

Because as Nico looked at him, he only had a split second to take it all in.

But it felt like a lifetime.

What he saw was blue eyes.

. . . . .

Despite seeing a new color for the first time, despite seeing the eyes it belonged to and the person they belonged to, even despite the _Shifting_ , Nico's first thought was: _You have_ got _to be kidding me._

He wanted to scream. He wanted to smash more bottles against the wall; cut deeper the gashes in his hands. He wanted to run. Was it bad of him to want this?

But when he looked at the man, an eerie sense of calm flooded his senses and dissipated the urges. Naturally they surpassed his anger and fear, something that in his entire life he had never felt. It was this that told him: _Even if his eyes hadn't brought forth the color hidden from me, I would have defied society's expectations just to see that smile and understand why it affects me the way it does._

His rage seemed to deflate, but a sense of grief lingered in his heart. He'd had his soulmate show up… for what? For them to spend a mere fourteen hours together before Nico was forced halfway across the world? It just wasn't right. It just wasn't _fair_.

A flash of blue caught Nico's attention behind and above his soulmate. His eyes snapped up to look, and he quickly recognized the sky. But the gray was gone. And in its place...

_Oh gods._

. . . . .

Will's entire world darkened around him.

The color danced before his eyes, and he couldn't help but feel disoriented as the brightness he'd always known was replaced.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the new color-the new _world_ -but once they did, he felt like crying. He was so caught up in the moment-the Shifting, as breathtaking and marvelous as he'd always imagined it would be; the tremor brought to his heart as he marveled in the fact that this was _actually_ happening-he almost forgot to take in the very person that made this possible.

He was taken aback with shock when he looked at the boy. He was completely _covered_ in the color, from his hair to his eyes to his clothes. Even his wristband was black.

The shock only intensified when he fully took in the boy's face. He _knew_ him. Memories came flooding to his brain-the dream he'd had of the falling city; the laughing boy in the coffee shop- _this was him_.

Will would have never thought that he would meet his soulmate under such circumstances. In an alley after hearing the shattering of glass wouldn't rank high on his list of guesses.

With this thought his mind warped back to reality, and he took a cautious step toward the boy. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

But the boy wasn't listening.

His gaze was directed skyward, and Will couldn't help but follow it. Looking up at the sky, seeing the genuine _awe_ on the man's face as he fully experienced the sight for the first time, Will felt a pang of guilt. He couldn't imagine how awful it must have been to have such a large and constant reminder of your loneliness hanging over your head. Though of course, just because they just met didn't mean that either had been lonely before.

Finally, Will looked back at the boy, whose gaze had dropped to the shards at his feet. The blond suppressed the curiosity as to why he had made glass rain. "What's your name?"

When the boy hesitated, Will's heart thudded painfully in his chest. _Did he even speak English_? But the thought was driven away when he remembered how the boy had replied to Will before.

"Nico," he said finally, looking up into his eyes. Will's knees trembled, and he knew that he would never get used to seeing those shining black irises. "Nico di Angelo."

A grin took over Will's face before he could stop it, despite the warnings that plagued the darker sides of his mind. _He might not even like you_. "I'm Will." He held out his hand.

His soulmate- _his_ soulmate-hesitated slightly, eyes wary as he looked at Will's outstretched hand. But when he looked back up at Will and his easygoing smile, his tension ceased. And he reached out.

It was Will's turn to freeze when he saw the blood on the boy's hand, and his eyebrows knit together worriedly as he glanced back down into his eyes (the boy being a good six inches shorter than him). Slowly, as if approaching a frightened dog, he grasped Nico's hand. It was cold to the touch, blood being the only source of warmth.

Hurriedly, he pulled gauze out of his back pocket, which he happened to keep on him in case of emergency. Turned out his strange doctorate instincts had been useful.

Nico's frown deepened as he watched Will patch him up with practiced hands. "Do you always carry gauze with you?" he questioned.

Will's lips turned up in a smile, though he couldn't hide the concern evident in his expression. "Yup. Gonna be a doctor." He shuffled back an inch to admire his handiwork, Nico's now-bandaged hand still in his grasp. "Good thing for you, huh?"

Nico's eyes shifted downward. He gave a barely audible hum in response.

Will's smile ceased. "Why did you do this?" he asked softly. Nico took his hand away.

Silence filled the air between them, the sounds of New York traffic and tourism seeming to move farther and farther away.

He looked at Nico. The boy's eyes were guarded, and Will's suspicion grew. He raised an eyebrow.

Nico sighed almost mournfully, looking away as if shamed. Will's heart went out to the boy; he had no idea what he had been through to get here.

Finally, he muttered, "I'm getting deported."

Will's heart shattered just like the sprinkling of glass at their feet.

. . . . .

Nico had looked away, but he caught a glimpse of the heartbreak in his soulmate's shimmering blue eyes.

He couldn't believe he was doing this to him. It wasn't fair.

He was completely caught off guard when Will smiled.

He raised an eyebrow and shot him a look as if to say: _Are you freaking serious?!_

But the doctor-in-training simply held a finger to his lips, urging Nico to keep his mouth shut. The blond pulled out a cellphone whose case held odd gel in which fake fish-

Oh gods.

_He didn't think about the ocean._

Will, who had already started to greet someone on the phone, gave a small yelp when Nico rushed forward and started tugging him by the wrist. His expression was confused, but he went along with Nico as he talked to the person on the other end of the line.

As soon as he was able to call one over, Nico shoved Will into a taxi. A nagging voice said: _Abusing your soulmate already?_ But Nico shook it away.

Will glanced nervously at Nico the entire ride, but the Italian was a little too preoccupied to notice. He directed the driver and watched the city pass by with childlike excitement shining in his eyes. And for a moment, he was able to forget about his predicament.

Will had finally hung up with a 'thank you' when they arrived at their destination. Nico let him get out on his own, seeing as he didn't want to overstep his boundaries in the first twenty minutes they had known each other. So he let Will lag behind as he raced out onto the sand.

It was absolutely _breathtaking_.

Shimmers of light glittered on the water's surface, and the colors ranged from deep blue to light blue to green. The chilling ocean breeze seemed to carry words in its howls, as if calling him forward. Any other day he would've plunged right in, let the waves ripple over him as he explored its icy depths. But this was not just any other day.

He whirled around to face the boy behind him, a rare grin plastered on his face. Will's own smile grew steadily, and Nico couldn't help but think it was even more beautiful than the ocean.

The moment seemed to end all too quickly as a serious expression overtook the blond's tan face. He stepped toward Nico slowly, hands in his pockets. "Nico?" he said.

Nico's heart thudded against his rib cage just because of the way his name sounded coming from Will's lips. But it was also because of the edge to his voice, an edge that Nico couldn't identify.

"Yeah?"

The corner of Will's mouth quirked upward. "You're not going anywhere."

Nico froze. "W-what?"

"They're not going to send you out of the country."

Nico could almost cry hearing those words. He wanted to drop to his knees and thank Will a million times over, but he could hardly form the words on his lips. His head felt fuzzy. First, he found out he was going to be forced back to Italy. Then he met his soulmate. Now he's hearing that he won't have to go back to Italy after all?

Wow. A lot could happen in a day.

Nico lowered himself slowly onto the beach, running his fingers through the sand. After a moment's hesitation, Will joined him.

"T-thank you," Nico managed at last.

Will shrugged, his eyes fixed on a lone shell. "My aunt has a way with people," was all he said.

They sat there as time stretched on, neither speaking and instead sitting in comfortable silence. Never before had Nico felt so at home with a stranger; he felt like he could talk for hours and not be interrupted or ignored. He had a feeling Will might actually be interested in what he said.

But instead, Nico decided to hand over the reins to Will with a few words, unknowingly giving him the power to carry both their strings of stories late into the night.

"So. Doctor, huh?"

. . . . .

Nico probably should have known his friends would wait all day for him.

As soon as they heard the door click, all five of Nico's friends plus Hazel shot to their feet. But no one said anything, instead staring at him with a mix of concern and questioning.

Nico allowed his lips to quirk up in a soft smile. "I'm not getting deported."

His friends seemed too shocked to cheer, and so Nico used the opportunity to flee to his room.

He could tell them about Will another time.

But for now, his dreams were filled with a certain pair of blue eyes.


	9. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't want to leave any loose ends with Piper and Jason, so...

A soft buzz tore Nico out of his slumber, but a canvas of ocean meeting sky still burned in his mind.

He let his eyes drift lazily to his alarm clock, relishing in the bright blue numbers on its face. 8:00. He gave a mildly disgruntled sigh as he reached for his phone. But he was too caught up in the numbers' color to care about the time.

He glanced over his cell screen. He'd gotten a text.

**_Will: Hello darkness my old friend_ **

Nico rolled his eyes, but a small smirk pulled at his lips. He quickly tapped out a reply.

**_Nico: Will we literally just met yesterday_ **

He sighed again, more contently this time, and locked his phone. He laid back down as he awaited a reply.

It came almost instantly.

**_Will: I've come to talk with you again_ **

Nico rolled his eyes, irked by the blond who also happened to be his soulmate. In the short time they'd known each other, they could almost write the other's biography. Nico had never opened up to anyone like that before.

But of course, the conversation going two ways, he'd discovered the man's love for music.

_**Nico: Well, here I am. So talk. Better than spouting off song lyrics.** _

He felt a strange tug at his heart when Will texted back. He couldn't quite explain it to himself, and he wasn't quite sure he wanted to.

Better to feel than speak, right?

**_Will: Fine, Party Pooper. I was just wondering what you were doing today._ **

Nico fought to keep his lips from turning up. _Will and his stupid consideration_.

**_Nico: I'm not exactly sure. I think I might get kidnapped by my friends today. You know, because of what happened yesterday._ **

**_Will: Makes sense_ **

A loud bang drew Nico's eyes from his phone, and he shot up. He hardly had time to register what was going on before a hoard of five or six people charged into his room and engulfed him in hugs.

"Ack- Jason! Guys, what are you- stop it! Leo!"

Jason leaned his head on Nico's chest like a puppy, his arms wrapped tightly around the Italian. But his grip was gentle, and it was nice to know that Jason still respected Nico's personal space.

Well, sort of.

"Sorry Neeks," Percy started, trying to push Jason and Leo away so he could hug Nico as well. "But we can't let you out of our sight at all today."

Nico sent a fearful glance toward Annabeth and Piper, who stood in the doorway with indiscernible expressions on their faces. He put every emotion he could into his eyes to scream: Help me!

"Sorry Nico," piped Hazel, who kept a small distance by perching on the foot of his bed. "We were just so scared yesterday."

Nico sighed, casting his eyes down almost shamefully. "I know."

"But hey," Jason said, pulling away from Nico at last, "let's just try to forget about that and have a good time today." He smiled brightly.

Nico looked from the guys with no personal space to the women by the door. Was he really up for this? He'd never admit it (though he had a feeling the others already knew), but the events that took place the day before had drained him.

And if it wasn't already bad enough that the others seemed to know how tiring yesterday had been for Nico, he still hadn't told them about Will.

"Fine," answered Nico after a brief pause. He held his hands up. "Just get out of my room so I can change, yeah?"

The others grinned, seemingly pleased with his answer. After a few more hugs and glances his way to make sure he hadn't disappeared, Nico's friends filed out the door.

Nico plopped back down onto his bed. Part of him wished he could just crawl back under the covers; escape from the world and everyone in it. With the exception of Will.

After a moment he ran his hand over his face and turned on his phone again. He opened up his previous conversation. Nico typed.

**_Nico: Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe there used to be this thing called 'personal space'_ **

He didn't wait for Will to return the text, instead rising from his bed and ambling towards his closet. It wasn't until he'd grabbed one of his favorite skull t-shirts that his phone vibrated in his pocket.

Nico strode back over to the bed, throwing onto it his shirt and a pair of skinny jeans that were, you guessed it, black. He pulled off yesterday's shirt before reading Will's text.

**_Will: If you wanted to be left alone that bad you could've just told me_ **

Nico frowned at the sentence. What had Will thought he meant?

**_Nico: Not you, dummy. My friends. I just got bombarded with hugs._ **

Nico's heart started to thump in his chest, already afraid of losing Will over a simple misunderstanding. But when his soulmate texted back, his heartbeat slowed.

**_Will: Hahaha_ **

Nico raised an eyebrow at his phone, unable to tell if the man was being sarcastic or not. He quickly texted back, praying that he hadn't taken it the wrong way.

**_Nico: Hey! It's not funny!_ **

**_Will: It's kinda funny_ **

Nico grumbled under his breath, but a smirk seemed to pull at his lips yet again, unfamiliar yet at the same time, strangely familiar.

_**Nico: No it's not, because now I'm gonna have Percy's weird ocean smell on me for a week!** _

Nico pulled his shirt on, quickly followed by his pants as he waited for the expected buzz.

_**Will: HAHAHAHAHA** _

Nico couldn't help but grumble again.

**_Nico: You stink_ **

Nico could almost hear Will's laughter in his next text. _Damn Will and his beautiful laugh_.

_**Will: Actually, you stink** _

Nico sighed, rubbing his hands over his eyes. He heard a distant shout (distant being down the hallway) for him to hurry up, and he allowed himself one final text before exiting his room. But he made sure to include expectancy of a later conversation, unwilling to stop talking to the blond.

_**Nico: I'm leaving now. If you don't hear back from me by tonight you can assume that I've had the life sucked out of me by a hug.** _

After a split second, he added:

**_Tell the cops it was Jason. It was all Jason._ **

And he was out the door before he'd even gotten a response.

. . . . .

"Do it, Grace."

"But-"

"Do it or I'll sink this fork into your neck."

Jason paled at Nico's words, eyes glancing down nervously to the fork wrapped in Nico's white fingers. Nico knew that Jason didn't actually believe he would do anything to hurt him, but the fierce snap in his voice often raised people's defenses. And to be honest, Nico liked it that way.

"What if she doesn't say yes?"

Nico's head fell to the table with a thump and a groan. His voice came muffled. "Jason, you idiot, I could strangle you!"

He didn't bother to raise his head, and so he missed the pout that Jason sent his way. There was a long pause before confidence washed over the blond, and he jumped up from his dining room table before yelling, "Help me pick an outfit!"

Nico would have groaned again if he didn't understand exactly what those words meant. _It was finally happening_. Despite the deportation threat, Nico was having a pretty good week, with love all around him. Though of course, if it hadn't been for the fear of returning to Italy, he would never have met Will.

Nico hadn't realized Jason was gone until he shouted from upstairs, "Nico, get a move on! They could be back any minute!"

Nico glanced at his watch. Jason was right. The others had left Nico behind with a whining Jason for a chaperone (As if he was going to run away again. He came back, didn't he?) while they left to pick up pizza. It had taken a lot of convincing for Nico to persuade them to go get it instead of having it delivered, claiming he needed time away from the crowd. Which wasn't really all that untrue. Now it was 7:15 and they could return any time.

Nico sprinted up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time. Normally he wouldn't have rushed, but he had waited too long for this moment.

As he entered Jason's room, he was assaulted by a shirt to the face.

He pulled it off with a huff. "Hey!"

In front of him Jason was a machine gone haywire, searching frantically through his closet for the perfect representation of… Whatever it was he was trying to represent. Clothes spewed out the door, quickly covering Jason's floor with piles of mess.

Nico raised an eyebrow at Jason's odd behavior. "And what's wrong with the shirt you're wearing now?"

Jason backed away from pulling out random clothes to survey the options with his eyes. They glowed a beautiful blue with a shimmer of apprehension, though Nico could sense an underlying spark of excitement. Jason answered simply, "Not formal enough."

Nico rolled his eyes, flopping down onto Jason's bed and kicking his feet up. He crossed his arms and watched Jason continue his wild scavenger hunt. "Piper doesn't really _do_ formal, Jason," Nico reminded.

Jason shrugged, pulling out a selection of three or four shirts. "My girl deserves only the best," he said. "Now which one works most?"

Nico couldn't help but roll his eyes again as Jason started holding the shirts up to his chest. He raised an expectant eyebrow at Nico when he didn't say anything, and Nico retaliated by boredly checking his nails. Again he mentioned, "She won't care anyway, Grace, you know that." Then he looked up at Jason's frown. "But if you really need to know, the blue one looks best on you."

It took a moment, but Nico's breath caught in his throat as soon as he realized what he had said.

Jason failed to notice at first, but that didn't last long. As he shoved his arms through his sleeves and pulled the shirt around him, his hands paused.

And the silence that ensued was _dreadful._

Nico couldn't help but think: maybe he hadn't noticed. Maybe he remembered something with no relation to the topic at hand. Maybe he was in awe at Nico's wonderful fashion sense. But he knew none of those could be true. There was only one answer.

And it was clear as day even before Jason turned around slowly to fix Nico with a stare. It was clear as day even before he spoke the words.

And Nico's heart was about to explode.

"I never told you the shirt was blue."

_KA-BOOM!_

Bye-bye Nico.

He started stuttering, feeling the heat of blood rushing to his cheeks. "Y-yeah, well you know h-how it is-I mean, colors, pfft, what even…" His hands fidgeted nervously. "Are they?" he finished weakly. He avoided Jason's gaze.

For a moment Jason said nothing. Which made it all the more scarier when he screamed, "NICO!"

The boy in black immediately jumped into defense mode, holding his hands up to shield himself from the onslaught of shirts and pillows Jason hurled at him.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!" he demanded.

"Tell you what?" Nico tried, lowering his arms as soon as he was sure it was clear.

Jason's eyes widened. "That you _met your soulmate_!"

"Who says I met my soulmate?"

" _YOU_ DID!" Jason yelled.

Nico sighed, realizing that this was it. It was going to come out sooner or later. He just didn't want it to happen right before Jason _proposed_! Nico made a quick mental note to confront Jason on his strange timing. _What kind of person proposes on a day like this anyway, where friends are all around stuffing their faces with pizza?_

"Alright, fine," said Nico finally. He slumped his shoulders in defeat, but his heart fluttered at the thought of Will. "I met my soulmate."

Jason's expression went from surprise to anger to excitement, a roller coaster of emotions passing over his face. With an excited squeal he leapt onto the bed, earning a strong flinch from Nico.

"What's his name?! What does he look like?! Is he nice?! Is he mean?! What did he say?! When did you meet?! Are you going to get married?! When do I get to meet him?! What's his name?! Are you going to get married?!"

As soon as Jason started repeating himself, Nico knew he had to get him to shut up.

" _Will_ , okay?!"

Jason froze, his eyes meeting Nico's. "What?"

Nico wanted to scream into a pillow. There were plenty around after Jason's attack… But instead he explained, "His name is Will."

Jason grinned, but, thank the gods, didn't squeal.

Nico took a deep breath. Now he needed to lay down the law. "I'm not going to tell you anymore until you propose to Piper."

Jason's smile fell. "What?"

"I have been waiting too long for this!" Nico exclaimed. He jumped up, helping himself to the contents of Jason's bedside drawer. His fingers found the object he was looking for, and he tossed the small velvet box to his friend. "Now man up!"

Jason protested, "I was about to man up before you dropped this bombshell on me!"

Nico raised a defensive hand. "Hey, I didn't tell you anything."

Jason ignored him, gazing down at the small silver ring he now held. It was nothing special, just a thin band with a small square diamond. After a minute, he spoke. "I love her."

Nico could almost roll his eyes. He wanted to say, Duh!, but he felt that this was not the time or the place. So he said, "That's why you're going to do it."

A new voice joined in. "Do what?"

Jason and Nico shot their heads up in synchronicity. Having been deep in their sharp quips and short sentences, they hadn't heard the others arrive.

And now Piper stood in the doorway.

A vibrant blush started to spread over Jason's face. Now he knew how Nico felt when he let slip about Will. "Um…" He rubbed his neck nervously.

Nico rose, sensing the tension as his cue to leave. He shot Jason a quick glare as he walked past Piper though, as if to say, You're not leaving this room until you stop being such a wuss.

And he walked out the door.

. . . . .

He was greeted with a lot of confused faces when he came downstairs.

"What's going on?" asked Annabeth. She and Percy had already brought out the paper plates and started eating. Nico didn't see Hazel, so he assumed she was in the kitchen grabbing cups.

Nico smiled slyly, but other than a quick, "You'll see", he avoided her question.

It wasn't long before the couple of the hour came downstairs hand-in-hand, grins on their faces and a ring on Piper's finger.

Nico smiled.

Hazel came in then with a stack of paper cups in one hand and a soda bottle in the other. When she saw their expressions, she was confused. "What's got you all happy?"

Piper looked to Jason as if for confirmation, and turned back to the others when he squeezed her hand. "We're engaged!"

Everyone _flipped._

Hazel squealed. Annabeth dropped her pizza and ran to hug Piper. Leo let out a whoop and gave Jason a high-five, muttering 'finally' under his breath.

But Percy froze.

Nico's heart fluttered. Why wasn't he happy? Even Nico was, and Nico was almost never happy.

"Are you serious?" he asked finally. Everyone's smile fell as they turned to listen to him, instead turning to frowns of confusion.

"What do you mean?" asked Hazel. Percy ignored her.

Instead, he ran to Annabeth's side. "Wise Girl, we can't let them get married before us!" Grins returned to the group's faces. Annabeth shook her head in annoyance, as if this was nothing new to her. It probably wasn't. "Come on, let's go elope right now!" Percy insisted. He tried pulling his girlfriend to the door.

Annabeth laughed. "Just be happy for them, Seaweed Brain."

Percy glared at Jason.

But they all joined in the mirth together, exchanging congratulations and thanks and clinking paper cups. They laughed. They had a good time, just enjoying the presence of others.

But Jason wouldn't stop sending glances Nico's way when he thought he wasn't looking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! So as of today (5/28/17), these nine chapters/prologues are all I have on my FanFiction account. I am nearly done with chapter eight though, so stay tuned!


	10. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you know, there are a couple innuendos in the chapter XD And thank you so much for the wonderful comment and kudos!

When Nico finally told the others about Will a few days after Jason and Piper's engagement, they strictly demanded to meet him.

At least, after they stopped screaming.

He'd had to climb onto the counter just to keep his friends from crushing him with hugs.

But in the end, everyone was just really, _really_ happy for him. And so was he himself, to be honest.

He continued to meet up with Will in the week that followed, learning more and more about the blond with each outing. And in turn, Nico shared a bit more of his life with Will. But he still tended to steer clear of the tragic events in his past.

He knew that one day he would have to tell Will, well, _everything_ , but he wanted to let it happen its own time. And somehow he understood that Will would never judge him, or scold him for not saying anything sooner. Unless Nico's health was concerned (in which Will would become _extremely_ stubborn), he respected Nico's space.

And it made Nico so, _so_ happy.

But it was still odd for him to feel that way.

And now that the time had finally come for his friends to meet his soulmate, it was even _weirder_.

Why was he feeling this way? I mean, sure it was nice for him to be able to show off the amazing, happy ray of sunshine that was Will, but who knew how this would end? His friends could get a little… well, up close and personal.

Nico decided to share these thoughts, offering his boyfriend one last chance to back out-to run away and save himself from the assault of Nico's friends. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Will tore his gaze from the various shops that lined the streets, and turned to Nico with a smile. The Italian wondered if his face ever hurt from grinning so often.

"Of course, my little ray of darkness." Nico scowled at the nickname. "I need to see for myself whether or not your friends are really as crazy as you say they are."

The corner of Nico's lips quirked up in a small smile. "You won't be disappointed," he muttered.

. . . . .

They were ambushed before they even entered the coffee shop.

"NICO!"

Jason crushed him in a hug.

"NEEKS!"

Percy also crushed him in a hug.

Nico's face turned red in anger, and he clenched his teeth. "Jason! Percy! Guys, I saw you yesterday!" He wiggled and squirmed as he tried to escape their grasps. He started to say, "Besides-", but they'd already turned their attention to Will.

Nico cast a quick glance through the window at Piper, Annabeth, and Hazel while the two men were distracted, only to find them smiling in amusement.

"Hmm."

Nico turned to find Jason circling his soulmate, as if he were observing a piece of furniture in an auction. He had a hand raised to his chin, pretending to stroke a beard as he looked Will up and down. The fire in Nico's heart turned from fury to embarrassment. He slapped a hand to his face.

"I'm so sorry," he muttered through his fingers.

Will, a smile and a blush on his face, shrugged. "You _did_ warn me," he replied.

After a few moments, Jason spoke. "You're so… yellow."

Nico pressed his hand harder to his face. "So are you, Jason," he grumbled. Jason ignored him.

Will's face got even redder. "Um… thanks?"

Jason sidled up to Will's side after seemingly inspecting his mop of golden curls. He squinted his eyes and leaned sideways, instead of coming to stand in front of the man like a normal person would. But then again, nothing about Jason was normal.

He continued to stroke his imaginary beard as he studied Will's face. The Italian's soulmate remained calm and collected, his blush vanishing, though Nico had no idea how. "So," Jason began, his eyes flitting to Will's, "Your name is Will?"

Nico wanted to punch him. But Will was as calm and outgoing as ever, answering with a smile, "Yes. Will Solace."

Jason muttered thoughtfully to himself, eyes drifting away. Percy stood face-to-face with Will now, and though he watched him carefully, the diver seemed to be lost in thought just as much as Jason.

"Aha!" Jason exclaimed. Percy's head shot to look at him, and Nico forced his eyes not to roll. "Solangelo!"

Will's face immediately started burning again as Jason and Percy grinned triumphantly. But Nico didn't understand… The only thought he could muster was: _Dafuq?_

Jason seemed to notice Nico's confusion, because he went on to explain, albeit vaguely, "Solace. Di Angelo."

Nico's eyebrow shot up, and it took him a few seconds before he realized what the blond was saying. _He gave us a couple name?!_

He didn't even think twice before turning around to leave.

But a hand caught the back of his shirt.

"Aw, come on Neeks, we're only teasing," Percy said. He pulled Nico back gently, allowing the shorter man to easily break free and return to Will's side. He scowled at his crazy friends.

Will looked at him, a small smirk playing on the corners of his lips. "We can't leave yet, Death Boy," he said. Nico glared daggers at him. "I've still got to meet your other friends."

"Don't call me that," he muttered. Then, "Alright. At least they're not as insane as these two dingbats."

As they entered the small business and moved toward the booth where the girls sat, Jason mocked offense with a gasp and a hand on his heart. "Hey!" he protested. "I will have you know that I am one quarter fruit bat!"

Nico heaved an annoyed sigh, shaking his head and pressing his eyes closed for a second. But the annoyance was replaced by something he couldn't quite identify as a gentle warm hand slipped into his own. He felt his face heat up.

"So _this_ is the mystery man," Piper crooned as they sat down. Nico had slipped in next to Hazel before Will could, so now he was sandwiched in between the two people who made him most comfortable.

Will just smiled and nodded as Piper looked him up and down. Annabeth did the same, but her stormy gray eyes were much more calculating and it was as if you could _see_ the gears working in her mind.

She was the next to speak, staring both intensely and inquisitively into Will's blue irises. "So Will, what do you do?" she asked.

Piper rolled her eyes. "A typical Annabeth question."

"What? I just wanted to know."

Percy stretched, slinging his arm over Annabeth's shoulder with a smile. "Wow, Annabeth," he remarked, his smile twisting to a smirk. "Right to the _chase."_

He and Jason broke out laughing, bumping fists and saying, _Nice._ Nico face palmed. But Annabeth, instead of just rolling her eyes, shut them closed. They stayed like that for a few seconds, an expression on her face saying: _Why are you like this?_

Poor Will seemed so confused-at least, under his aura of constant happiness (which bugged the Italian to no end). Nico leaned over to whisper, "Her last name's Chase."

Will sent him a grateful smile.

Annabeth opened her eyes again. "You must be done with college," she continued. "Assuming you're around Nico's age."

Will's expression grew confident, and he met Annabeth's gaze with a strong one of his own. "Actually, I'll be attending med school in the fall."

The blond was met with impressed, and, in Percy's case, surprised looks. Even Annabeth raised an eyebrow, a smile sneaking to her face. She seemed equally intrigued. "Med school, huh?" she asked. "Have you always wanted to be a doctor?"

Will nodded. "I knew I wanted to help people from an exceptionally young age." He shrugged, his shoulders brushing against Nico's. _Gods, even his shoulders were warm._

Annabeth was silent for a moment as she stirred her drink. But again she looked up at Will, and Nico felt like he should be more surprised at the words that came out of her mouth. "What's the powerhouse of the cell?" she asked.

Will quirked an eyebrow, but Nico scowled. If Annabeth noticed, she didn't say anything, instead waiting for Will's answer.

"Mitochondria," he said. He seemed completely at ease despite a little spark of confusion. He was probably wondering what the hell was wrong with these people and what it said about Nico. But his smile remained.

Annabeth crossed her arms and leaned forward, her gaze intensifying. "What do you do in case of a musculoskeletal injury?"

Six sets of eyes flicked to Will for his answer. They watched in stunned silence.

"RICE," he answered. "Rest, immobilize, cool, and elevate."

Nico shot Annabeth a glare, but still she continued. "What's the difference between a-"

Nico cut in. "Annabeth." His voice was firm but deathly quiet, and he heard several people's breath catch. He would've laughed at the small effect he still had on his friends, at least, on the occasion he was actually _trying_ to scare them. But he wasn't in the laughing mood. "That's enough."

Percy put a hand over his mouth as his gaze flicked nervously between the two, as if he expected Annabeth to get mad. He tried to subtly dump some blue M&Ms on the table.

To Nico's surprise, Annabeth actually drew back and apologized. "Sorry," she said, sincerity evident in her tone. "I can get a little carried away."

"It's okay," Will told her. He smirked, crossing his arms with a daring flare in his eyes. "I could do this all day."

Annabeth squinted and raised an eyebrow.

Hazel clapped, jumping several of them. Nico was glad for the distraction. It was probably his sister's intention to change the subject. "Okay!" she chirped, a nervous grin crossing her face. "Who wants to share embarrassing stories about Nico?!"

"Ohpleaseno," the Italian quickly stammered. But no one was listening. He knew this was a bad idea.

Jason got excited at this, bouncing in his seat and raising his hand like a student. "Oh, I do, I do!"

Everyone was grinning as Jason settled down to tell a story. Except Nico.

The blond started out with a bright shimmer in his eyes, and a grin plastered on his face. Nico buried his head in his hands, but he caught a glimpse of Will smiling at him. His shoulders relaxed involuntarily.

"Okay. So one day, some of us decided we wanted to go to the circus. Now-"

"NO!" Nico belted. He swiped a blue M&M from the table, much to Percy's distress. He chucked it at the blond. "You are _not_ telling the peanut story!"

Will furrowed his brows and looked at Nico. "What's the peanut story?" he asked.

Jason grinned, but Nico cut in before he could say anything and embarrass him further. He hadn't even gotten into the story and already Nico's cheeks were flaming. "It's a boring anecdote involving elephants, high-velocity legumes, and the disgrace that is humankind." He glanced at Will and almost laughed at his completely-lost looking soulmate. He patted his arm. "I'll tell you when you're older."

The group laughed when Will blushed. "I'm older than you!" he exclaimed. Nico rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"Do you like peanuts, Will?" asked Piper. Jason stifled a snort beside her.

Will didn't seem to understand. Or, if he did, he was too mature to say anything about it. "I prefer walnuts," Will told her. "Peanuts are just kind of… weird. I mean, think about it. Are they a pea or a nut? The world will never know." Percy snickered.

Nico rolled his eyes for the second time. " _You're_ a nut," he proclaimed.

"A health nut, yes."

"You're just upset because the _word_ peanut is weird."

"It _is_!" Will defended.

Nico uncrossed his arms, gesturing slightly as he explained, "It's no weirder than _walnut_. _You_ think about it, Will. Is it a wall, or a nut?"

Will pouted and crossed his arms as Annabeth and a few others laughed, muttering something about 'walnut' only having one L.

"You guys tell awful jokes," Piper commented. She smirked. "It's adorable."

"A match made in Heaven," Annabeth agreed. Beside her, Percy attempted to make an M&M tower.

He was failing.

Hazel shifted in her seat then, eyebrows furrowing in confusion as she glanced out the window. "Speaking of bad jokes, where's Leo?"

Across the table, Piper drew her phone from her pocket and checked her messages. "He should be on his way," she said, shrugging. "I called him and told him we were meeting Will today instead of tomorrow, and he just… screamed. Then he dropped the phone and the call disconnected."

Jason's eyes widened. "Guys, I think someone ate Leo."

"Well, why wouldn't they? I'm delicious," came a familiar voice. Nico rolled his eyes. _Leo and his stupid entrances._

"Hey Leo," the group chorused. The Latino joined them on Will's other side, smiling. Then he caught sight of Nico's soulmate and wouldn't stop staring.

Piper was the first to speak, looking up from her phone, down again in confusion, and back up to Leo. Her eyes flitted over his sweaty frame. "Leo, did you… _run_?!"

Leo's smile twisted to a smirk, and he looked at Piper as he shrugged. "What else?"

"You could've taken a taxi," suggested Annabeth. The blonde took a bite of toast. "Or you could've just, I don't know, driven the RV you were standing in."

Jason piped up before Leo could say anything. "Man, you're still driving that thing? It's a freaking safety hazard."

Leo looked offended, and jabbed an accusatory finger in his best friend's direction. "Hey. I built it myself, you know."

Jason arched his eyebrows. "Exactly." Leo crossed his arms and glared at him.

Then Leo got distracted by the man next to him. He turned to stare at Will shamelessly, not even trying to hide it. He looked him up and down, taking in the tan skin, golden hair, blue eyes, and athletic build. "So you're Will, huh?" he asked finally.

Will just smiled politely. "Yup."

After another quick onceover, Leo leaned sideways into the table to look at Nico. A sly grin smothered his lips, and Nico almost wanted to throw something at him so he wouldn't say anything stupid. " _Dang,_ Nico."

Then he winked.

And Nico really did throw something at him.

Unfortunately, the only things on the table were cell phones and food, so the barista glared at him when he flung a cinnamon roll in Leo's face. The group burst out laughing while Nico blushed furiously.

"Don't be so quick to assault, Doom and Gloom," Leo said, a teasing twinge to his words. Nico glared at him. Even Will's eyes poorly masked a spark of anger.

"He already threw an M&M at me," Jason mentioned dejectedly.

Percy looked up at Nico, a mix of anger and sadness in his eyes. "Yeah. One of mine." Nico just rolled his eyes. Again. For, like, the millionth time.

He turned to Jason. "I had to," he defended with a smirk. "You were going to tell the peanut story."

Leo's eyes lit up, and he turned to look at Jason. "You were going to tell the peanut story?!" Jason nodded. "Ooh, tell it, tell it!" Nico glared daggers at him, a nasty frown taking over his face. Leo shrunk back. "Or not."

"Hey, who wants to get some food?" Hazel piped. Her voice almost jumped Nico; she hadn't spoken in a while.

"I do!" Leo squeaked. He jumped up from the table and rushed away from the group.

"But we already have food," Nico mentioned with a frown on his face.

"No, Percy has food," said Annabeth. "You used our last cinnamon roll as a projectile." Nico smiled.

Nico and Will got up from the booth to let Hazel, who was followed by Annabeth and Piper, out. When they sat back down, Jason and Percy hardly glanced at them. Okay, maybe it wasn't going as bad as Nico thought it would.

Spoken too soon.

"There something on my face, bro?" Jason asked, brushing a hand over his cheek where Nico had hit him with the M&M.

"Nah, your face is fine, bro," Percy answered nonchalantly. Nico's gaze flicked back and forth between the two, and he wondered what he had done to get such strange friends. He braced himself for the worst as Percy and Jason delved deeper into their 'bromance'.

Jason pointed playfully at Percy, a smile on his face. "But not as good as yours."

Percy popped a blue M&M into his mouth and copied Jason's smile. "Come on bro," he said as Nico resisted to urge to punch someone, "No one's face is as nice as yours."

"Bro."

Nico shook his head before glancing at Will. "We are literally the straightest people at this table," he said.

Will smiled. "I think it's nice they're such good friends."

Nico rolled his eyes. Will, always the optimist.

"But I'm starting to see now why you told me your friends are crazy."

Nico nodded vigorously. "Right?!" He snuggled slightly into Will's side, something that most certainly did not go unnoticed by Jason. Nico smirked.

"You'll fit in just fine, Will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww, and there it is. The end. Or is it? Let me know what you guys would think of a sequel (but it wouldn't be until sometime after summer).


	11. Sequel

To all of you who enjoyed this story, there is now a sequel up! It's called 'Of Weddings and Weekends' and it follows the group through their time at a hotel while they prepare for Jason and Piper's wedding. Go check it out!


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